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A fire broke out in a 13-story residential building in Diyarbakır on Thursday, claiming the lives of four people, including three children, among 17 individuals who were hospitalized.
The incident occurred on the eve of Türkiye’s Eid al-Adha celebrations. The blaze began around 6:30 p.m. local time (GMT+3), according to Diyarbakir Governor Murat Zorluoglu. Emergency services, including the fire brigade, police, medical teams, and disaster response units, were quickly dispatched to the scene.
Governor Zorluoglu added that more than 30 people were evacuated from the building.
He stated that the victims died after inhaling thick smoke while trying to escape. “Initial reports indicate that residents attempted to flee to the stairwells, where they were overcome by dense smoke,” he said.
Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control, and cooling operations are still underway.
The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, but preliminary findings suggest it may have originated from the building’s electrical panel.
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a formal investigation. A deputy chief prosecutor and two additional prosecutors have been assigned to oversee the inquiry.
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