Turkish firemen. File photoCAiro, Oct 15 A powerful fire engulfed several floors of a skyscraper in the Asian part of Istanbul at once, NTV reported. The incident occurred in the Fikirtepe area. The fire started on the lower floors of the 24-storey building, and gradually the fire spread to the upper floors. Fire brigades immediately arrived at the scene from four districts of the city. Residents of the house and a number of neighboring buildings were evacuated, the TV channel reported. The fire was put out. A resident of the house where the fire started told RIA Novosti that her family managed to get out on their own. “The electricity went out, and before the generator had time to turn on, we saw black smoke on the street,” the agency’s interlocutor said. The woman is now forced to stay with friends nearby for a while while the house is evacuated.
The explosion in a residential building in Istanbul was caused by a gas leak, media reported
