Blaze breaks out during renovation work, according to the Istanbul governor.
At least 29 people have been killed and one injured in a fire at a nightclub in central Istanbul during daytime renovation work, according to the office of the city’s governor.
“The number of people who lost their lives in the fire … has increased to 29,” Governor Davut Gul’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.
“One person hurt in the fire was still being treated in hospital,” it added.
The fire broke out on Tuesday on the ground floor of a 16-storey building located in the residential Gayrettepe district.
Police officers stand guard in front of a building where a fire broke out during daytime renovation work [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
Television images showed flames and a column of thick smoke rising from upper storey windows.
The fire began at 12:47 (09:47 GMT) and was brought under control by firefighters hours later, the governor’s office said.
An investigation into the incident was launched, it said.
Arrest warrants were issued for five people, including the management of the club and the person responsible for the renovations, state media reported.
By late afternoon around 20 fire trucks and ambulances were still crowded around the building.
Death toll gradually increases
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said that the night club was closed for repairs during Ramadan when the incident happened.
“They were preparing for the Eid holiday, which will take place next week,” she said.
Our correspondent said the number of deaths, which was initially lower, increased as people died after being transferred to the hospital for treatment.
The Masquerade website said it would be closed from March 10 to April 10 “due to our new design renovation”. It can host up to 4,000 people with DJ performances and stage shows several times a week, it says.
Authorities cut power, water and gas to the area and building residents were evacuated as a precaution.
