Gayrettepe nightclub fire

On 2 April 2024, a fire broke out at the Masquerade Club, in the Gayrettepe neighborhood of Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, killing at least 29 people.

Background
The club, which was located on Gonenoglu Street, a busy area of the Gayrettepe neighbourhood, first received its operating license in 1987 and was last renewed in 2018. At the time of the fire, the club was closed for a month long renovation coinciding with Ramadan, and was scheduled to reopen on 10 April. It was located in the basement and ground level below a 16-story residential building. The building's manager said that the venue of the club was originally designed as a cinema. The club, which had a capacity of 4,000, ran a mixture of deep house and hip hop nights with live music and multiple stages.

Fire
According to the city governor's office, the fire began at 12:47 (09:47 GMT) with the blaze extinguished in the late afternoon after it had reached the building's third floor. At least 29 people died in the fire, while at least eight people were injured, seven seriously. Most of the victims were construction workers doing the renovations, as well as a club DJ and a cook. Turkish media said that the lay-out of the renovated area was similar to a "labyrinth", which hampered escape efforts.

Authorities sealed off the vicinity of the building, while around 20 fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the area. Electricity and gas supplies to the neighborhood were also shut off as a precaution.

Investigation
Five people were detained after the fire, including managers of the club and one of the individuals in charge of the renovations. The Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that an investigation had been opened into the fire shortly after it was extinguished. The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, said that the club had not applied for the proper construction permit. On 3 April, Yeni Şafak, citing fire department officials, reported that the fire was believed to have been caused by sparks from a welding machine used to install sound insulation and decoration material, which then caused an explosion that set other construction materials ablaze.

Reactions
İmamoğlu expressed condolences to the victims of the fire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was also briefed on the incident over a phone call by Ali Yerlikaya.