A fire at an Istanbul nightclub during renovations on Tuesday left 27 people dead and others severely injured, officials said. Several people have been detained for questioning.
At least eight people were injured, seven of them hospitalized in serious condition, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The nightclub, which was closed for renovations, was on the ground floor of a 16-story residential building in the Besiktas district on the European side of the city bisected by the Bosphorus. The fire was put out.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene that the cause of the fire was under investigation, and the victims were believed to be involved in the renovation work.
Authorities detained five people for questioning, including managers of the club and one person in charge of the renovations, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.
