A blaze erupted early Saturday at a perfume warehouse in an industrial town in northwestern Turkey, killing six people and injuring five, officials said.
The fire in Dilovasi, which broke out at 9:00 a.m. (0600 GMT), was brought under control after firefighters and emergency teams were dispatched to the scene, İlhami Aktaş, the governor of Kocaeli province, told public broadcaster TRT Haber.
“Six people have unfortunately lost their lives,” Aktaş said.
“One of the injured is in critical condition due to burns,” he said. “Four others are in relatively stable condition and receiving treatment.”
Aktaş said the fire “was quickly brought under control and put out” and added that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the blaze.
Media reports earlier said two people had been injured.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced on X the launch of an investigation, saying that detention warrants had been issued for three suspects.
Three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have been assigned to oversee the investigation, he added.
Two stories of the building were destroyed in the fire, images aired by the Turkish NTV station showed. The origins of the fire were still unclear.
“I heard an explosion. … I looked out from my balcony and saw that the clothes of a colleague had caught fire. I took a hose and put the flames out. I then saw flames engulf the warehouse. There were cries” from the building, a witness told the private NTV station.
Located around 70 kilometers (43 miles) from İstanbul, Dilovasi is an industrial town hosting numerous warehouses and factories.
© Agence France-Presse