Istanbul Nightclub Fire Leaves Dozens Dead

Facts

• A fire at the Masquerade Club in Istanbul, Turkey, a nightclub located in the basement of a high-rise, has left at least 29 dead and others injured.¹
• Local officials said the fire broke out during the day while the club was closed for renovations. Construction workers are reportedly among the dead.²
• A reported 86 firefighting personnel and 31 vehicles responded to the scene, as well as police and medical personnel. Those injured were transferred to regional hospitals.³
• The governor's office further stated that six people had been arrested in connection with the fire, including two partners in the club, two managers, a person in charge of the renovation, and an accountant.⁴
• The said that while the club, which was closed for the month of Ramadan, didn't have a permit to continue construction, it did so anyway to prepare for next week's Eid holiday.⁵
• Istanbul's chief prosecutor has launched an investigation into the fire, with the minister of internal affairs also stating that it has launched its own probe with civil inspectors.²

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Washington Post, ³dailysabah.com, ⁴New York Times and ⁵Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Forbes. While the cause of this fire is yet unclear, Turkish authorities are certainly leaving no stone unturned after detaining several people and issuing warrants for several others. It also appears the nightclub did not have the required permits to resume construction, so there's a good chance that people will be brought to justice.
• Narrative B, as provided by Jacobin. Given Turkey's history of failed infrastructure, especially during the devastating earthquakes, it's not surprising that an unapproved construction project was systemically ignored. Pres. Erdoğan used to favor state intervention, but due to international pressure, he has deregulated the construction industry to the point of lethality.