29 die in Istanbul nightclub fire

Istanbul: A fire killed at least 29 people in a 16-storey residential building in Istanbul on Tuesday, the governor of Turkey’s economic capital said, updating an earlier toll of 15 dead and eight hurt.

“The number of people who lost their lives in the fire... in Gayrettepe of Besiktas district has increased to 29,” governor Davut Gul’s office said in a statement, referring to the Istanbul neighbourhood.

“One person hurt in the fire was still being treated in hospital,” it added.

The fire began at 12:47 (0947 GMT), the office said, and was only brought under control by firefighters hours later. Television images showed flames and a column of thick smoke rushing from upper-storey windows.

The number of people reported killed and hurt rose throughout the afternoon in a string of statements from the governor’s office, as more victims succumbed to their injuries.