Four detained over Istanbul building collapse

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Turkish authorities on Thursday detained at least four suspects over the collapse of an eight-story apartment building in Istanbul that killed 21.

A project officer, a technical implementation supervisor and a construction inspector were among the detainees charged with "killing by negligence", the private NTV broadcaster reported.

Press reports said the apartment building in Istanbul's Kartal district, which fell on February 6, was initially built as a five-story structure in 1992, but three floors were illegally added in the following years.

Last week, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the site.

"Many lessons to learn" from Istanbul residential building collapse, he said.

At the same time, Erdogan also visited a hospital where more than a dozen people are being treated.

A total of 35 people were pulled from the debris, with 21 of them dead and 14 others injured.

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