Fire at Turkey perfume warehouse kills six people

A fire at a perfume warehouse in north-western Turkey has killed six people.

The blaze broke out at 09:05 local time on Saturday in Dilovasi, Kocaeli Province’s governorship said.

The province’s governor Ilhami Aktas told Turkish outlet CNN Turk five people were in hospital, with one in critical condition being treated at a burns unit.

The fire has now been extinguished.

Images shown by Turkish media show firefighters extinguishing large flames.

“I heard an explosion… I looked from my balcony and saw that the clothes of a colleague had caught fire. I took a hose and I put the flames out. I then saw flames engulf the factories. There were cries” from the building, a witness told local TV, quoted by AFP.

The origins of the fire in the Mimar Sinon neighbourhood were still unclear. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation had been launched while the labour ministry also said it was investigating.

Located around 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Istanbul, Dilovasi is an industrial town hosting numerous depots and factories.