At least 29 people were killed when a fire broke out in a 16-storey residential building in Istanbul on Tuesday.
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The governor of Istanbul, economic capital of Turkiye, said: “The number of people who lost their lives in the fire […] in Gayrettepe of Besiktas district has increased to 29.”
According to a statement issued by Governor Davut Gul’s office, “One person injured in the fire was still being treated in hospital.”
It took firefighters hours to bring the fire under control that broke out at 0947 GMT, the office said. Television footage showed flames and thick smoke rushing from the building’s windows.
#BREAKING Istanbul fire leaves 15 dead, eight injured: city governor#İstanbul #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/GVYOQNVQRS
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The number of people reported killed and injured rose throughout the afternoon in a string of statements from the governor’s office, as more victims succumbed to their burns.
The fire had broken out during construction work on the first and second floors below ground, which housed a nightclub, Gul told reporters.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X, “An investigation has been opened into the fire in Gayrettepe.”
Istanbul authorities arrested five people in connection with the fire. Istanbul’s newly re-elected mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who rushed to the scene, said, “The fire is under control. Let’s hope there are no further victims”, offering his “condolences” to the relatives of the dead and injured.
