Two people have been arrested in connection with a fire that tore through a 13-story apartment building in Turkey’s southeastern city of Diyarbakır, killing four members of the same family and injuring 23 others, BBC’s Turkish service reported on Monday.
The arrests follow an investigation by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which detained five individuals linked to the incident. The remaining suspects were released under judicial supervision.
The fire erupted on Thursday evening in the Fırat neighborhood of Kayapınar, one of Diyarbakır’s densely populated residential areas. The affected building comprised 52 apartments. According to site management interviewed by BBC, the victims were a mother and her three children.
Initial assessments suggest the blaze began due to faulty electrical wiring. The fire quickly spread through the structure, sending thick smoke into residential units and trapping dozens of people on their balconies. Rescue operations continued for more than three hours.
Emergency response units from the National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) joined local firefighters and crane operators in a coordinated effort to save residents.
Photos from the scene showed smoke billowing from the upper floors, with terrified residents clinging to balcony railings as they awaited help.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç said on X that two prosecutors had been assigned to the case, overseen by a deputy chief prosecutor. “An investigation has been launched into this tragic event that has deeply saddened us all,” Tunç wrote.