ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A fire broke out at an entertainment center in Turkey’s Istanbul on Tuesday, killing at least 29 people. Turkish state media Anadolu Agency reported that the fire broke inside a building in Istanbul’s Besiktas district. The cause of the fire is unknown. “29 people lost their lives in the incident. The teams continue their efforts in the building where the incident occurred,” read a statement from the Istanbul governorate. Firefighting teams swarmed the area with 31 vehicles and 86 personnel to extinguish the fire. Istanbul governorate noted that the fire broke out in an “entertainment center” operating on the minus 1 and minus 2 floors of the 16-storey building. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu told journalists that the fire was under control and technical teams will start launching a probe into the building. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters that the building was under renovation at the time of the fire, noting that they haven’t received information on whether there was an explosion in the building or not. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X that they have launched an investigation regarding the incident. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced on X that five suspects have been issued arrest warrants in connection with the fire, adding that a judicial investigation was launched by the city's chief public prosecutor's office. Updated at 5:31 pm
