site.btaThree Dead, 27 Injured in Fire in 26-Storey Residential Building in Ankara

Three people have died in a fire that broke out in a 26-storey residential building in Ankara, Turkiye. Twenty-seven others - 25 residents and two firefighters - were injured and taken to hospital.

According to the news portal Haberler, the fire started Saturday evening in Yasamkent in Cankaya, Ankara’s third most densely populated district. The blaze caused panic in the immediate area and across the city.

The victims have been identified as 63-year-old Muharrem Cetinkaya, 33-year-old Husniye Celik Sahin, and her 3.5-month-old baby.

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas said that the fire had begun on the building’s fourth floor and quickly spread to other levels.

The cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Emergency services responded within minutes of receiving the alert. Numerous fire trucks, police units, and teams from the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) were dispatched to the scene. UMKE also set up a large emergency response tent in the area.