Türkiye
At least 29 dead after fire in Istanbul nightclub
Firefighters are on duty after a fire in a nightclub. photo
© Uncredited/IHA/AP/dpa
Many people die when a devastating fire breaks out in an Istanbul club. Construction work is suspected to be the cause and arrests have been made.
In the event of a fire in the rooms of a nightclub in At least 29 people were killed in Istanbul. One person is being treated in hospital with serious injuries, the Istanbul governor’s office said. The cause is currently still being investigated.
The fire reportedly broke out around midday on the lower two floors of a 16-story apartment building, which were used by the Masquerade nightclub. Pictures from the scene showed a charred house wall. It was initially unclear how the fire started. However, the governor’s office wrote that work in the club rooms could have been the trigger.
It was also unclear who the dead were. The Umut-Sen union wrote of dead “workers” and an explosion without citing any sources.
The public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the cause of the fire. According to the state news agency Anadolu, six people were arrested. This should include the manager of the club and the person responsible for the construction work.
The building and nightclub are located in the European Besiktas district of Istanbul. Police and fire departments cordoned off the area.