Turkish authorities reported this Tuesday, April 2, that at least 29 people died when a fire devastated the underground Masquerade nightclub in the city of Istanbul. The regional governor explained that some of the fatalities are workers who were carrying out renovations at the premises.
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This Tuesday, April 2, a fire in a nightclub in Istanbul caused the death of at least 29 people. The Turkish authorities reported that the accident took place at the Masquerade establishment, a renowned concert venue located in the central Gayrettepe neighborhood.
As a result of the intensity of the flames, dozens of firefighters were deployed to the site to help those who were trapped.
Davut Gül, regional governor, reported that Some of the dead are workers who were in charge of renovations at the premises, which has a capacity of 3,000 people and operates in the basement of a 16-story building.
In addition, the local president rejected the initial versions that referred to an explosion in the building. Meanwhile, he confirmed that the nightclub had the authorization to operate, which they renewed in 2018.
Turkish authorities open an investigation and arrest five people
The Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunç, announced the appointment of three prosecutors to carry out the investigations into the possible causes that sparked the fire.
Likewise, the official confirmed the issuance of arrest warrants for five people: three workplace officials, the manager in charge and a person responsible for renewal.
İstanbul'un Beşiktaş İlçesi Gayrettepe Mahallesindeki bir işletmede çıkan yangında hayatını kaybedenlere Allah'tan rahmet, yaralılara acil şifalar diliyorum.
İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı tarafından adli soruşturma başlatılmış olup, 3 Cumhuriyet savcısı…
— Yılmaz TUNÇ (@yilmaztunc) April 2, 2024
“May God have mercy on those who lost their lives in the fire that occurred in a business in the Gayrettepe district of the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” added Yilmaz Tunç on the X social network.
The fire started inside Masquerade and then expanded, reaching the fifth or sixth floor, causing a large amount of smoke, Turkish television station 'NTV' showed.
The mayor of the city, Ekrem Imamoglu, explained that a large amount of construction material was scattered around the premises, a factor that could have contributed to the fire spreading quickly.
With Reuters and EFE
