More than two dozen killed as fire rips through Istanbul building

The death toll has risen to 29 at a nightclub in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul after a fire broke out during renovation work in the venue.

Casualties occurred among construction workers at the nightclub where the blaze broke out on the minus-first and -second floors of a 16-storey building in the Besiktas district of the city, the Istanbul Governorship announced in an official statement on Tuesday.

The specific cause of the fire remains unknown, but the statement said it originated from the renovation work.

Upon receiving the alert, firefighters, medical teams, and police swiftly arrived at the scene, with law enforcement securing the area.

Firefighters, with 31 vehicles and 86 personnel, quickly extinguished the flames and brought the situation under control.

"Efforts by rescue teams are ongoing at the site of the incident," the statement added.

Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun conveyed his condolences to the families of the citizens who lost their lives in the fire and wished a speedy recovery to injured citizens on X.

Altun said President Erdogan is closely monitoring all developments surrounding this tragic incident, receiving all updates from the ministries and the Istanbul Governor's Office.

A full investigation has been launched into the incident, all aspects of the fire will be examined, he added.