Fire in Istanbul’s largest customs area causes damage

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

AA Photo

A fire in Istanbul’s largest customs area in the Halkalı district has caused damage in several business depots.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said in a statement on Oct. 21 that the fire was extinguished in two hours with 120 firemen working on the ground from several districts of Istanbul.

The fire started in the depots of Barsan Global Logistic Antrepo, a five-story building with grounds amounting to 4,000 square meters of area.

The fire was reported at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 20 and the first team of firemen arrived in the area at approximately 12:06 a.m., according to the municipality's statement.

Textile and cosmetic products were stored in the area where the fire was started, and the authorities have started an investigation into the incident to determine the reason of the fire, the statement added.

Istanbul Governor Vasıp Şahin visited the area and said the workers first realized the fire and attempted to extinguish it themselves.

Şahin said the workers called the firemen after they failed to extinguish the fire and added that no one was wounded in the accident.