27 Dead After Nightclub Fire In Istanbul

(NewsWorthy.news) – A fire has ripped through a nightclub in Istanbul, killing at least 29 people, according to officials. The Masquerade nightclub was closed for renovations when the fire broke out.

Several individuals, including the club’s managers, were detained for questioning. The club was situated on the ground and basement floors of a residential building in the Besiktas district of the European side of the city bisected by the Bosphorous strait. The fire broke out at around midday on April 2. Ekrem Imamoglu, the newly elected Mayor of Istanbul, stated that the club had not applied for a permit for the construction work, which was carried out two floors beneath ground level and thus hidden from sight.

After authorities initially detained five people for questioning, the number of individuals questioned increased to nine as Turkish media reported the cause of the blaze. Those in charge of the renovation work were also among those being questioned. A local newspaper cited reports of fire department officials that welding sparks set fire to flammable material. The nightclub, which closed for renovations during Ramadan, was situated at the base of a 16-story building. The Masquerade club was planning to reopen on April 10.

According to the Yeni Safak newspaper, which is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regime, the welding machine was being used to install sound installation and the sparks triggered an explosion that ignited surrounding construction materials. Investigators and prosecutors have been appointed to look into the incident.

According to witness Mehmet Cengiz, firefighters were entering the building before reappearing and “coming out all blackened”. The nightclub was capable of housing 4,000 guests and the manager of the building told reporters that the venue was originally intended to be a cinema. HaberTurk television referred to the nightclub as a “labyrinth” whose design made it difficult for those inside to escape the blaze. There have been no official statements about the cause of the fire. According to Governor Davut Gül the victims were involved in the renovation work.