ISTANBUL (AP) — A fire broke out Tuesday at an Istanbul nightclub under renovation, killing at least 29 people, officials and media reports said. Several people, including the club’s manager, were detained for questioning.
The Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement that at least one person was being treated at a hospital.
The Masquerade nightclub, which has been closed for renovations, was located on the ground floor and basement of a 16-story residential building on the European side of Besiktas, which is bisected by the Bosphorus. The fire went out.
Governor Dabut Gul told reporters at the scene that the cause of the fire was under investigation and that the victims were believed to have been involved in renovation work.
According to the private TV station Nippon Television, some of the victims died after being taken to hospitals by ambulance.
ISTANBUL, TURKIYE – APRIL 2: A fire breaks out in a nightclub in the basement of a 16-storey building in Turkiye, Istanbul’s Besiktas district on April 2, during a break during firefighting and search and rescue operations. Some members of the fire department. 2024. The death toll from the fire has increased to 29, the governor announced. Fire and emergency services were called to the scene of the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Authorities detained six people for questioning, including the club’s manager and a renovation worker, Gul’s office said.
The nightclub is closed during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and the owners are trying to complete renovations in time for next week’s Eid holiday, which follows the fasting month, NTV reported.
Police cordoned off the area while power and natural gas were cut off to the neighborhood as a safety precaution.
Top Shot – Relatives of victims react near the scene of a house fire in Istanbul on April 2, 2024. On April 2, a fire broke out in a 16-story residential building in Turkey’s economic capital Istanbul, killing at least 29 people. The number of deaths was increased to 15 and the number of injured was 8. Governor Dabut Gul told reporters that the fire broke out during construction work on the first and second basement floors, which housed a nightclub. (Photo credit: OZAN KOSE/AFP) (Photo credit: OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said authorities were inspecting the entire building to assess safety.
Several fire and medical teams were dispatched to the scene.
According to the mayor, the nightclub did not have the necessary permits for construction or renovation.
