Gayrettepe nightclub fire explained

Date:2 April 2024
Location:Masquerade Club, Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey
Type:Fire
Reported Deaths:29
Reported Injuries:8

On 2 April 2024, a fire broke out at the Masquerade Club, in the neighborhood of Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, killing at least 29 people.[1] [2]

Background

The club, which was located on Gonenoglu Street, a busy area of the Gayrettepe neighbourhood, first received its operating license in 1987 and was last renewed in 2018. At the time of the fire, the club was closed for a month long renovation coinciding with Ramadan,[3] and was scheduled to reopen on 10 April.[4] It was located in the basement and ground level below a 16-story residential building. The building's manager said that the venue of the club was originally designed as a cinema. The club, which had a capacity of 4,000,[3] ran a mixture of deep house and hip hop nights with live music and multiple stages.[5]

Fire

According to the city governor's office, the fire began at 12:47 (09:47 GMT) with the blaze extinguished in the late afternoon[6] after it had reached the building's third floor.[3] At least 29 people died in the fire, while at least eight people were injured, seven seriously. Most of the victims were construction workers doing the renovations, as well as a club DJ and a cook.[7] Turkish media said that the lay-out of the renovated area was similar to a "labyrinth", which hampered escape efforts.

Authorities sealed off the vicinity of the building, while around 20 fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the area.[6] Electricity and gas supplies to the neighborhood were also shut off as a precaution.[3]

Investigation

Five people were detained after the fire, including managers of the club and one of the individuals in charge of the renovations.[8] The Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that an investigation had been opened into the fire shortly after it was extinguished. The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, said that the club had not applied for the proper construction permit.[9] On 3 April, Yeni Şafak, citing fire department officials, reported that the fire was believed to have been caused by sparks from a welding machine used to install sound insulation and decoration material, which then caused an explosion that set other construction materials ablaze.[10]

Reactions

İmamoğlu expressed condolences to the victims of the fire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was also briefed on the incident over a phone call by Ali Yerlikaya.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dozens dead in Istanbul nightclub fire . Jacqueline . Howard . . 2 April 2024 . 2 April 2024 . 2 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402155507/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-68715163 . live.
  2. Web site: Daytime fire kills 29 people at Istanbul nightclub . Ali . Kucukgocmen . . 2 April 2024. 2 April 2024.
  3. Web site: 2 April 2024 . Fire at popular Istanbul nightclub during renovations kills at least 29 people . 2 April 2024 . . en . 2 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402165121/https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-nightclub-fire-af1e666436b8b5b6be55f0066f667adb . live .
  4. Web site: 2 April 2024 . Fire at nightclub in Turkey's Istanbul kills at least 29 people . 2 April 2024 . . en . 2 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402142834/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/2/at-least-25-killed-in-fire-at-istanbul-nightclub . live .
  5. Web site: McCurdy . Will . 2 April 2024 . At least 29 killed in fire during Istanbul nightclub renovation . 2 April 2024 . . en . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403045634/https://inews.co.uk/news/world/fire-renovation-istanbul-nightclub-killed-2987155 . live .
  6. Web site: 2 April 2024 . Dozens killed in fire at Istanbul nightclub closed for renovations . 2 April 2024 . . en . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403045640/https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240402-dozens-killed-in-fire-at-istanbul-nightclub-closed-for-renovations . live .
  7. Web site: Zaman . Tanem . Alam . Hande Atay . 2 April 2024 . Fire at Istanbul nightclub kills dozens during renovation work, state media says . 2 April 2024 . . en . 2 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402134646/https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/world/istanbul-fire-turkey-intl/index.html . live .
  8. Web site: Thornton . Claire . 2 April 2024 . More than 25 dead in Istanbul after fire broke out during nightclub's renovations . 2 April 2024 . . en-US . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403045423/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/04/02/istanbul-nightclub-fire/73177193007/ . live .
  9. Web site: 29 Killed In Fire At Turkish Nightclub, Masquerade . . 2 April 2024 . 2 April 2024 . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403045632/https://republicreporter.com/2024/04/29-killed-in-fire-at-turkish-nightclub-masquerade/ . live .
  10. Web site: Deadly Istanbul nightclub fire was likely caused by welding sparks, Turkish media reports say . Associated Press . 3 April 2024 . 3 April 2024 . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403111450/https://apnews.com/article/istanbul-nightclub-fire-cause-welding-f147ec365d03a144a8358a6e377b7204 . live .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gayrettepe nightclub fire".

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