A fire broke out on the ground floor of a 16-story building in Sisli, Constantinople, resulting in 29 people losing their lives and one being injured.

Police, firefighters, and medical teams rushed to the scene.

#SONDAKİKA
ŞİŞLİ’DEKİ YANGIN FACİASINDA ÖLÜ SAYISI 15’E YÜKSELDİ

▪️Beşiktaş Gayrettepe’de 16 katlı binanın gece kulübü olarak kullanılan giriş katında yangın çıktı.

▪️Yangında 15 kişi hayatını kaybederken 7’si ağır 8 kişi de yaralandı.

▪️Yaralılar ambulanslarla çevredeki… pic.twitter.com/jETcSqqRzS

— EHA MEDYA (@eha_medya) April 2, 2024

In the announcement issued by the authorities, it is stated that the fire is believed to have been caused by renovation work. According to reports, an explosion occurred at the scene of the nightclub named Masquerade, located on the ground floor of the 16-story building, which was closed for Ramadan as it was undergoing renovation. After the explosion, a fire broke out in the nightclub. As the fire intensified, smoke filled the club and the building. At that moment, those inside the club and the building became trapped.

See Also:

Plant-based records take the PVC out of vinyl

The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was present at the scene, confirmed the number of casualties. He stated that no application for construction or renovation permit had been submitted. “It’s two floors below, so (the space) is not visible. An illegal intervention was made,” he emphasized.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan contacted the Minister of Interior, Ali Gerlikaya, and was informed about the incident. The mayor of Istanbul stated that the nightclub had been operating with a license since 1987, which was renewed in 2018.

Meanwhile, as announced by the Turkish Minister of Justice, three prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the causes that led to the tragedy, while arrest warrants have been issued for 5 individuals.