Investigation underway after deadly Istanbul nightclub blaze
A fire engulfed an Istanbul nightclub Tuesday during renovations, trapping workers and employees inside and killing at least 29 people, officials and reports said. Several people, including managers of the club, were detained for questioning.
The Istanbul governor’s office said that one person was being treated at a hospital with serious injuries.
The Masquerade nightclub, which was closed for renovations, was located on the ground and basement floors of a 16-story residential building in the Beşiktaş district on the European side of the city bisected by the Bosporus.
The fire reached the third floor of the building before it was extinguished, video footage of the blaze showed.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gül inspected the site of the fire incident. Gül, during his visit, stated that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, mentioning that the fire department is investigating the matter. He explained that the fire broke out in a discotheque located in the basement of the building.
He noted that renovation works were underway in the building, stating: “Due to the renovations, workers lost their lives and were injured. Both the fire department and police, and health care workers intervened and began their operations from the very beginning.”
Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, Gül informed us that a permit was obtained for the building in 1987 and was renewed in 2018.
Responding to a question regarding the possibility of an explosion in the building, Gül replied, “We have not received any such information.”
Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), Ekrem Imamoğlu, who was reelected in local elections on Sunday, also inspected the site of the fire incident. Imamoğlu emphasized that the building was licensed as a nightclub in 1987, adding, “The last fire department report was issued in 2016. A renewal permit was issued by the district municipality in 2018. These will be investigated, and the prosecution will have already initiated the necessary procedures. My colleagues are inspecting the structural safety of the building. Accordingly, we will provide support, such as evacuation of neighbors if necessary. The building is an old one.”
As administrative investigations regarding the fire commenced, two civil inspectors were assigned to the case. Three public prosecutors have been appointed within the scope of the investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Eight individuals, including the responsible manager of the establishment and its partners, were detained.
While the bodies of the deceased were transported to the Forensic Medicine Institute by ambulances from the scene, relatives of the deceased, upon receiving the tragic news, experienced fainting spells at the scene.
Experts’ views
Kazım Beceren, president of the Türkiye Fire Protection and Education Foundation (TÜYAK), commented on the fire, saying, “There are precautions to be taken, especially during the construction phase and especially during hot work. The fact that this fire resulted in deaths indicates that these precautions were not taken.”
Fire safety expert Levent Yasa stated, “The intervention of the fire department is on-site and correct, but we are facing such a loss of life because the fire was large and there were a lot of combustible materials inside.”
Herdem Süer, head of the Chamber of Interior Architects Istanbul Branch, commented on the fire, saying, “If there had been an interior architect if an interior architecture project had been used, maybe this fire would not have occurred.”
Witnesses’ accounts
Mehmet Cengiz, an eyewitness and a shopkeeper, stated that during the renovation work, flames engulfed the facade and at that moment, one of the building caretakers intervened first.
Another witness, Sema Soğancı, said, “The fire department arrived within 5-6 minutes. I heard explosions and cracks. I wondered if there were people inside.”
In a statement regarding the fire, Beşiktaş Municipality said: “The establishment in question first obtained its license in 1987, and it is understood that its license was renewed in 2018 due to transfer. However, no application, permission, or information was provided to our municipality regarding the alleged renovation process.”
“The investigation by the fire department, prosecution and inspectors is ongoing, and further information will be provided as a result. As an institution, we will follow up on the incident and continue to inform the public. We will continue to make every effort, in cooperation with all responsible public institutions, to ensure social peace and security,” the statement added.
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