An explosion of a gas bottle caused the fire that broke out yesterday in a 16-story apartment block in the Besiktas district of Istanbul. According to the Turkish media, at least 29 people died in the fire, and one person was seriously injured, reported the Demiryoren news agency, quoted by BTA.
Construction materials in the two underground floors of the building caught fire during the explosion. On the ground floor, there is a night club "Masquerade", where yesterday workers performed soundproofing and welding works. Some of the building materials were fibrous and caught fire like torches, a fire department official told the Suzju TV channel. According to him, the establishment lacks fire-fighting equipment.
An additional reason for the tragedy is the fact that the room has only one entrance door, without an emergency exit. Most of the people inside died of suffocation. Eyewitnesses told Seogyu TV that rescuers were removing blackened corpses from inside. Flames and clouds of smoke were billowing around. At the time of the incident, there were about 60-70 people in the building.
A written statement from the Beşiktaş municipality stated that the nightclub did not request permission for the renovation, as required by regulation. It is also noted that the establishment has had a license since 1987, which was renewed in 2018 due to a change in ownership.
9 people from the management of the night club and several workers were detained. Three of the detainees have criminal records, TRT Haber reported. According to television, representatives of the diplomatic missions of Germany, the United States, Great Britain and the EU Delegation in Istanbul have expressed their condolences for the victims of the fire.
The large-scale investigation into the case continues. Two inspectors from the Ministry of Internal Affairs have been appointed, Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya said on his profile on the "X" social network. Additionally, three inspectors from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security were appointed. Police teams, firefighters, medical rescue teams and ambulances participated in the rescue operation to remove the people stuck in the block.