ISTANBUL: At least 29 people were killed and dozens injured in a fire at a 16-storey residential building in Istanbul on Tuesday, the governor of Turkey’s economic capital said, updating an earlier toll of 15 dead and eight hurt.
“The number of people who lost their lives in the fire in the Gayrettepe neighbourhood is now at 29 dead and several people have been hurt, seven of them severely,” governor Davut Gul’s office said in a statement.
According to a statement released by Governor Gul’s office, the fire broke out in the Gayrettepe neighborhood, located in the central Istanbul district of Besiktas. The incident occurred during construction work in the basement of a 16-story building.
The wounded have been immediately transported to hospitals in the region for urgent medical attention, while authorities have initiated an investigation into the cause of the blaze.
Eyewitnesses and officials at the scene revealed that the basement of the building housed a nightclub, indicating the potential for complications and difficulties in evacuation procedures.
Newly re-elected Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu quickly arrived at the site of the incident, overseeing the emergency response efforts. “The fire is under control. Let’s hope there are no further victims,” Imamoglu stated, expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased and those injured in the tragic incident.
