Istanbul nightclub fire kills at least 27 people

Firefighters and emergency crews are dispatched to the scene of a fire following the outbreak of a fire at a nightclub in the basement of a 16-story building in Besiktas district of Istanbul, Turkiye on April 2, 2024 [Hakan Akgün – Anadolu Agency]

At least 27 people were killed when a fire broke out during daytime renovation work at a nightclub in central Istanbul, the city governor’s office said on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, firefighters and other first responders surrounded the charred and smoking entrance to the club, which occupies two floors underneath a 16-storey residential building in the city’s Gayrettepe district. One injured person is in a critical condition in hospital, added the governor’s office.

Three prosecutors are investigating the blaze. Five people were ordered to be detained, said Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc.

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