A fire Tuesday afternoon at the Masquerade Club in Istanbul, Turkey, has claimed the lives of at least 29 people, the bbc reports.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said the fire started during the day while the site was closed for renovations, although its cause remains unclear. Masquerade was located on the ground and basement floors of a 16-story building in the city's Besiktas district, the governor's office said in a statement. Press release.
At the time, no incidents were occurring within the club and it is believed that most of the victims, Gül added, were members of the team working on the renovations. Many were also hospitalized and are currently being treated for their injuries, he said in a statement. statement provided to press at the scene.
İstanbul Gayrettepe'deki Masquerade Club isimli gece kulübündeki yangın faciasında can kaybı 29'a yükseldi! pic.twitter.com/BoROPKVVUO
— Aykırı (@aykiricomtr) April 2, 2024
Following the fire, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said Masquerade's owners had not obtained the “correct construction permit,” according to the bbc.
Arrest warrants were reportedly issued for eight people in connection with the incident, including the club director and the person in charge of renovations. Three of those eight people have been taken into custody as of this writing.
An official investigation into the fire is already underway, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in a post on X.
İstanbul Beşiktaş Gayrettepe'de meydana gelen yangınla ilgili olarak idari soruşturma başlatılmış, 2️⃣ Mülkiye Müfettişimiz görevlendirilmiştir.
Müfettişlerimiz olay yerine hareket etmiştir.
Konuyla ilgili gelişmeleri kamuoyuyla paylaşmaya devam edeceğiz.
– Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) April 2, 2024
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