The search efforts in Gebze have come to an end! The lifeless bodies of the mother and father have also been found.

30.10.2025 08:10

The search and rescue operations at the site of the seven-story building that collapsed in Gebze yesterday morning have concluded. On the first day, teams reached the lifeless bodies of 12-year-old Muhammet Emir and his 14-year-old sister Hayrunnisa, while 18-year-old Dilara Bilir was rescued alive from the rubble. In the 19th hour of the search and rescue efforts, the lifeless bodies of father Levent Bilir and mother Emine Bilir were recovered from the debris.

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The lifeless bodies of a mother and father trapped under the rubble of a collapsed 7-story building in the Gebze district of Kocaeli have been reached.

Search efforts continued throughout the day and night for the building that collapsed around 07:00 yesterday morning on Issıkgöl Street in Mevlana Neighborhood, where mother Emine, father Levent, and their children Muhammet Emir, Hayrunnisa, and Dilara Bilir were trapped.

SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM CONSISTING OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

The street in the area, where 12 buildings were evacuated as a precaution, was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and the scene was surrounded by iron barriers to facilitate the work of the teams. Search and rescue teams, consisting of hundreds of people, removed debris from the area with buckets, while concrete blocks were suspended with crane support.

FIRST, THE LIFLESS BODIES OF 2 SIBLINGS WERE FOUND

Teams, who occasionally paused their work to ensure silence and listen, reached the lifeless body of 12-year-old Muhammet Emir in the afternoon, followed by his 14-year-old sister Hayrunnisa shortly after.

DILARA, 18, WAS RESCUED ALIVE

The family's eldest child, 18-year-old Dilara Bilir, was rescued alive from the rubble after approximately 8 hours of work. The young girl, who was conscious and in good health, was transferred to the hospital.

THE LIFLESS BODIES OF THE MOTHER AND FATHER WERE FOUND

After the children, the teams focused on rescuing the mother and father, reinforcing the columns with wooden blocks and making an opening in the rubble to enter the area where the couple was located. After efforts that continued into the evening and night, the teams reached the lifeless bodies of father Levent and shortly after, mother Emine Bilir, approximately 19 hours later. The bodies of the couple, taken to the ambulance on a stretcher, were transported to the morgue of Gebze Fatih State Hospital.

"SEARCH AND RESCUE ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED"

Mehmet Aktaş, Deputy Minister of Interior, who followed the work at the scene throughout the day, stated to reporters, "Unfortunately, the lifeless bodies of the mother and father have been reached. The bodies of father Levent Bilir and mother Emine Bilir have also been recovered." He reported that they reached the father's body first and then the mother's, saying, "Unfortunately, 4 members of our 5-person family have passed away. Only our daughter Dilara, the 18-year-old eldest daughter of the house, was rescued alive, but the other family members, the mother, father, and 2 children, unfortunately, have passed away. May our heads be healthy, may God have mercy on them. We also wish health and well-being to our daughter Dilara." Aktaş informed that Dilara Bilir, whom they visited in the hospital, was in good health.

Providing information about the search and rescue efforts that lasted approximately 19 hours, Aktaş stated, "A total of 913 personnel, including 628 search and rescue personnel, worked tirelessly and raced against time. 161 rescue vehicles, 6 dogs, and 10 seismic imaging and listening devices were used. A very professional and intense effort was made. As of this hour, the search and rescue activities have been completed."

Aktaş stated that the debris removal efforts would continue after the investigations to be conducted by the prosecutor's office, and continued his speech as follows: "12 buildings in the area were evacuated as a precaution. There were 45 families living in these 12 buildings. 9 of these families, consisting of 23 people, are being hosted in the facilities of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, while the others went to their relatives."

Aktaş thanked the personnel of the institutions and organizations participating in the search and rescue efforts, as well as the members of civil society organizations and the press members who followed the events.