Turkish collapse toll passes 50

Rescuers think chances of finding survivors are slim

The death toll from the collapse of a block of flats in Turkey on Monday is now thought to be 51, with fears it could rise as searches continue.

Rescue workers believe around 45 more people are buried in the rubble, but chances of finding survivors are slim.

The authorities say poor construction may have led to the collapse and two contractors have been detained.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited the scene in Konya, vowed to punish those responsible.

The block of about 40 flats was home to about 140 people but many may have had families staying for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

At least 25 residents were not in the building at the time.

It is strongly estimated that there are no air pockets left inside the rubble to survive Atilla Ozdemir, Turkey's civil defence

More bodies were pulled from the rubble on Friday as rescue workers have dug down to the remnants of the second and third storeys of the building.

Among their discoveries have been the crushed bodies of entire families, according to CNN-Turk television station.

Atilla Ozdemir, chief of Turkey's civil defence, said it was impossible to guess the number of people inside.

"It is strongly estimated that there are no air pockets left inside the rubble to survive," he said.

"We think, the people rushed to stairs and elevators in panic and we're very close to that part."

Industry suspect

People clearing the site have told harrowing stories of the dead families found beneath the concrete.

Many were said to have squeezed between the broken slabs of what had been the ceilings and floors.

Two boys were found hugging each other and the body of a young woman was found with her head on the chest of an elderly woman.

A pregnant woman and a two-year-old girl were also among the dead.

Turkey has suffered from collapsing buildings in the past and the construction industry is always the prime suspect.

Shoddy building work was blamed for thousands of the deaths in the 1999 earthquake.