Fire at Masquerade Club in Istanbul Kills 29 People

at least 29 deaths have been announced following the tragic fire that occurred at Masquerade Club in Istanbul.

Rated “the best club in Istanbul”, Masquerade Club has experienced a fire that has killed 29 people in total and has left others severely injured. The fire erupted during the daytime when the club was closed to visitors for renovations, inevitably affecting on-site construction workers, club employees, and even government officials.

The nightclub is located in Downtown Istanbul across two basement floors of a 16-story residential building. This alone raised concern about whether club owners had strictly followed fire regulations and abode to proper fire safety procedures and evacuation plans to begin with.

Following an on-site investigation, authorities have reported that faulty infrastructure and unsupervised renovation work at Masquerade Club may have been the root cause of the fire. According to the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Masquerade nightclub did not hold the correct legal permits to proceed with these extensive renovations.

Additionally, authorities have found that the materials used to construct the club grounds were not fire-resistant, which is a mandatory regulation, especially with Masquarade’s underground floor plan. On top of that, the construction material was also being put together in a non-uniform manner – which likely led to the fire.

Following this tragic event, the police ended up arresting six people who are believed to be connected with the cause of the fire. These included club management, partners, and the individuals in charge of the renovation work. Heavily affected by this saddening news, İmamoğlu turned to X (formerly Twitter) to express, “May god have mercy on our citizens who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured.”

Masquerade nightclub has been a remarkable nightlife and entertainment attraction in Istanbul for years. The stunningly decorated venue can host up to 4000 guests and has presented acclaimed acts like 50 Cent, Tyga, French Montana, and Ciara among many others. Evidently. the nightclub is now temporarily closed following this tragic fire, but the city remains hopeful that it will be back in full operation in the near future.