At least three killed after building collapses in Turkey's Istanbul

Some 43 people were registered in 14 apartments at the building, located in the Kartal district on the Asian side of the city, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at the site.

The top three floors of the building were built illegally and a textile workshop on the ground floor was operating without a license, he added.

The chairman for Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said search and rescue operations were underway, although it was not immediately clear why the building had collapsed.

Emergency teams pulled at least three people out alive as crowds surrounded the site. Roads leading to the building were blocked by vehicles and crowds.

Both the interior and environment ministers were sent by President Tayyip Erdogan to the site, state-owned Anadolu agency reported.

Turkish authorities confirmed an investigation was launched to decipher the cause of the collapse.

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