Fire at club under renovation in Istanbul kills at least 29

Associated Press

ISTANBUL — A fire tore through a popular Istanbul nightclub during renovation work Tuesday, trapping workers and employees inside and killing at least 29 people, according to officials and reports. Several people, including club leaders, were arrested for questioning.

One person was treated at a hospital for serious injuries, the Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement.

The Masquerade nightclub, closed for renovation, was located on the ground floor and basement of a 16-story residential building in the Besiktas district, on the European side of the city crossed by the Bosphorus Strait.

The fire reached the third floor of the building before being extinguished, video footage of the fire showed.

Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene that the cause of the fire was under investigation and that the victims were believed to be people involved in the renovation work. The private news agency DHA identified one of the victims as a nightclub employee.

Video from the scene showed flames shooting out the side of the building, firefighters dousing an entrance to the club and others carrying a victim on a stretcher to an ambulance. Several fire trucks were called to the scene.

Trooper NTV said some of the victims died in hospital after being pulled from the fire.

Authorities detained eight people for questioning, including club executives and a person responsible for renovations, Gul’s office said. A club official could not be reached for comment.

The government has appointed three prosecutors and several investigators to investigate the case.

The nightclub – which had a capacity of 4,000 people, according to its website – was closed for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Its owners were trying to complete the renovation work in time for next week’s Eid holiday, which follows the month of fasting.

“See you on April 10,” the club said in a message published on its website.

Police cordoned off the area while electricity and natural gas to the neighborhood were shut off as a safety precaution. Residents were safely evacuated from the building.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, re-elected in local elections on Sunday, said authorities were inspecting the entire building to assess its safety.

The nightclub had not obtained the necessary permit to undertake construction and renovation work, the mayor said.