An apartment building has collapsed in Turkey's northwestern city of Gebze, trapping five people under the rubble.

Gebze Governor İlhami Aktas told reporters the people under the rubble were members of one family.

It is not yet known if there are any casualties.

Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate, or AFAD, teams are on site conducting rescue operations.

State-run Anadolu Agency reports the cause of the collapse of the seven-story building on Wednesday is unknown.

Mayor of Gebze Zinnur Buyukgoz suggested the collapse might be related to nearby metro construction.

Gebze lies along the north Anatolian fault line and was one of the main centers hit during 1999's magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which killed an estimated 18,000 people in total.

Australian Associated Press

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