At least 29 people have been killed in a fire at the underground Masquerade nightclub in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. The fire broke out during renovation work during the day on Tuesday. Local authorities said people living in buildings above the underground have been evacuated.
Reuters reports that the fire broke out at 12:47 p.m. local time in the Garetepe district of the city. Six people have been detained as part of the investigation, the city governor’s office said.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was re-elected in last Sunday’s election. No application for renovation or construction has been made, he told reporters outside the building.
According to Masquerade Nightclub’s website, the club will be closed from March 10 to April 10 for renovations. There are DJ parties and stage shows several times a week. This club has a capacity of about 4 thousand people.
Authorities cut off electricity, water, and gas connections to the area, and residents of the building were evacuated as a precaution.
