Fire · Nightclub Renovation · Türkiye
Masquerade Nightclub Fire
A structured incident page covering the 2 April 2024 fire at the Masquerade nightclub in Gayrettepe, Beşiktaş, Istanbul, during daytime renovation or repair works.
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Incident Overview
What Happened
A fire broke out on 2 April 2024 during daytime renovation or repair work at the closed Masquerade nightclub in Gayrettepe, Beşiktaş, Istanbul.
Sources report that workers and employees were trapped inside the venue. The fire spread upward in the building before being extinguished.
The fatality figure is consistent across the main sources at 29 deaths. Injury counts vary across sources and update times.
Reported Context
Why It Matters
Core issue: a fire occurred in an underground or basement nightclub space during renovation works, inside a multi-storey residential building, with people reportedly trapped.
The incident led to detentions, administrative and judicial investigations, later charges, and ongoing trial reporting.
It is a strong reminder that a closed venue under renovation can still carry live-event level risk if hot works, materials, escape routes and supervision are not controlled.
View disputed details →Key Figures
Reported Scale
0
Deaths consistently reported
1–8
Injury figures reported
16storey
Building described in sources
22
Defendants in trial reporting
Chronology
Incident Timeline
2 April 2024 · Daytime renovation work
The Masquerade nightclub was closed for renovation or repair work. Sources describe the venue as underground, ground/basement, or on -1 and -2 floors of a 16-storey building.
Around 12:47–13:00 · Fire reported
Reuters reported the fire started at 12:47 p.m. DHA reported it broke out around 13:00 on the -1 floor.
Workers and employees trapped
AP reported that workers and employees were trapped inside. Sources describe the fire spreading upward before being extinguished.
Aftermath · investigations and trial
Reports cover detentions, prosecutors and civil inspectors being assigned, public officials being charged, expert-report disputes, and ongoing hearings.
Reported Factors
What Sources Point To
Renovation work
The fire occurred while the nightclub was closed for daytime renovation or repair works.
Basement venue
Sources describe the venue as underground or located on lower floors of a 16-storey residential building.
Entrapment risk
AP reported that workers and employees were trapped inside the venue during the fire.
Legal follow-up
Later sources report charges, a combined case, expert reports, and trial hearings.
⚠️ Verification Note The exact ignition cause was not verified as a settled official finding in the source document. Some sources mention welding sparks or an accident during work, but not all sources present this as final.
Disputed Details
What Does Not Fully Line Up
The main disputes are injury count, local address wording, detention numbers and the exact cause of ignition.
Injury Count
One injured or eight injured?
Injury figures vary across reporting as the incident developed.
Later repeated figure
AP, PBS, Al Jazeera and AA Turkish report one injured or one serious injury after the death toll reached 29.
Earlier / alternative figure
CNN/GNA, The Sun and To Vima reported eight injured, with seven serious or critical.
The final or later widely repeated figure is 29 deaths and one injured person receiving treatment.
Street / Local Address
Gönenoğlu Sokak or Gündoğdu Sokak?
Sources use different local address wording.
DHA wording
DHA used “Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Caddesi Esentepe Mahallesi Gönenoğlu Sokak.”
AA retrospective wording
AA used “Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Caddesi Gündoğdu Sokak.”
Both clearly refer to the same incident, venue, date and district, but precise street wording differs.
Detentions
Five, six or eight people?
Initial detention figures appear to reflect different points in the developing investigation.
Reuters / Minister post
Reuters reported six people detained. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç’s X post referred to detention orders for five suspects.
AP / AA Turkish
AP and AA Turkish reported eight people detained.
These likely reflect different stages of the same investigation.
Not Verified
Details Not Confirmed
These points appeared in the source document as not verified from the reviewed material.
Specific injury mechanisms
Burns and smoke inhalation as specific injury mechanisms were not verified from the accessible sources reviewed.Exact ignition cause
The exact cause of ignition was not verified as a settled official finding. Some reports mention welding sparks or an accident during work, but sources do not all agree.Final legal outcome
Later sources report hearings, charges, expert-report disputes and detentions, but a final legal outcome was not verified in the source document.Precise address
Precise local street wording differs between DHA and AA retrospective reporting.Source Material
References
Reference cards from the source document, including news reports, official social posts, expert commentary, trial coverage and retrospective sources.
01
Reuters
Fire kills 29 people at Istanbul nightclub during daytime renovations
2 April 2024
Reuters reported that at least 29 people were killed when a fire engulfed Istanbul’s underground Masquerade nightclub during daytime renovation work. It placed the fire in Gayrettepe, said the fire started at 12:47 p.m., and reported six detentions.
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02
Associated Press
Fire at Istanbul nightclub that was being renovated kills 29 people
2 April 2024
AP reported that the fire engulfed the Masquerade nightclub during renovations, trapping workers and employees and killing at least 29 people. It described the venue as on the ground and basement floors of a 16-storey residential building in Beşiktaş, with one person treated for serious injuries.
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03
Associated Press
Turkish prosecutors charge 13 over Istanbul nightclub fire that killed 29
24 September 2024
AP reported later legal developments: 13 public officials were charged over the fire, with the case linked to alleged abuse of office and causing death through negligence. It also reported that the case was combined with proceedings against nine other defendants.
⚠️ Legal follow-up
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04
Anadolu Agency
29 killed in fire at Istanbul nightclub undergoing renovations
2 April 2024; updated 3 April 2024
Anadolu Agency reported that the death toll rose to 29 after a fire broke out during renovation work, with casualties among construction workers according to local authorities.
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05
Anadolu Agency
Beşiktaş’ta gece kulübü tadilatında çıkan yangında 29 kişi hayatını kaybetti
2 April 2024; updated 3 April 2024
Turkish-language AA reported 29 deaths and one injured person under treatment; it also reported that three prosecutors and two civil inspectors were assigned and eight people were detained.
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06
Anadolu Agency
Bakan Yerlikaya, İstanbul’da 29 kişinin hayatını kaybettiği yangının çıkış görüntülerini paylaştı
3 April 2024; updated 4 April 2024
AA reported that Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared footage showing the outbreak of the fire at a business in Gayrettepe, Beşiktaş, where 29 people died.
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07
Anadolu Agency
Beşiktaş’ta 29 kişinin öldüğü gece kulübü yangınının üzerinden iki yıl geçti
2 April 2026
AA’s two-year retrospective described the fire as occurring on 2 April 2024 at a nightclub operating on the -1 and -2 floors of a 16-storey building at Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Caddesi Gündoğdu Sokak, and stated that 29 workers died.
⚠️ Address wording differs
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08
Al Jazeera
Fire at nightclub in Turkey’s Istanbul kills at least 29 people
2 April 2024
Al Jazeera reported at least 29 people killed and one injured in a fire during daytime renovation work, citing the Istanbul governor’s office.
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09
PBS NewsHour / AP
Fire at Istanbul nightclub under renovation kills at least 29 people
2 April 2024
PBS carried the AP report that a fire at a popular Istanbul nightclub during renovations trapped workers and employees and killed at least 29 people; one person was being treated for serious injuries.
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10
ABC News Australia
Fire at Istanbul nightclub kills at least 29 people, eight people detained for questioning including club managers
3 April 2024
ABC reported 29 deaths in a nightclub undergoing renovation, eight people detained for questioning, and ongoing investigations into the incident and building structure.
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11
SWI swissinfo.ch / Reuters
Istanbul nightclub fire kills 29 during renovation
2 April 2024
Swissinfo carried Reuters reporting that at least 29 people were killed when the underground Masquerade nightclub caught fire during daytime renovation work.
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12
Daily Sabah
29 killed in Istanbul nightclub fire
2 April 2024
Daily Sabah reported that Istanbul Governorship announced 29 deaths in a fire at a nightclub beneath a 16-storey building in Beşiktaş. It described the location as Gündoğdu Street in Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Avenue.
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13
Daily Sabah
Investigation underway after deadly Istanbul nightclub blaze
3 April 2024
Daily Sabah reported the continuing investigation and detentions after the fire killed 29 people during renovations, with one person treated in hospital with serious injuries.
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14
DHA
Beşiktaş’ta gece kulübünde yangın: 29 ölü
2 April 2024
DHA reported the location as Gayrettepe Yıldız Posta Caddesi, Esentepe Mahallesi, Gönenoğlu Sokak, and said the fire broke out around 13:00 in the -1 floor of the 16-storey building at Masquerade.
⚠️ Address wording differs
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15
DHA
Beşiktaş’ta 29 kişinin öldüğü gece kulübü yangını davası: Mahkeme yeni bilirkişi raporu istedi
18 May 2026
DHA reported on the 14th hearing in the trial concerning the fire, stating that 22 defendants were being tried, four of them detained, and that the court requested a new expert report.
⚠️ Trial follow-up
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16
Medyascope
İstanbul - Beşiktaş’ta yangın: En az 29 kişi hayatını kaybetti
2 April 2024
Medyascope reported the fire in a nightclub under a 16-storey building in Gayrettepe and cited then-Health Minister Fahrettin Koca’s statement that the death toll had risen to 29 and 32 ambulances plus one UMKE team were sent.
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17
VOA Türkçe
İstanbul Gayrettepe’de gece kulübünde yangın
2 April 2024
VOA Türkçe reported the fire and cited Health Minister Koca’s statement that 32 ambulances and one UMKE team were assigned to the incident.
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18
Ekonomim
Gayrettepe’de yangın faciası! 29 kişi hayatını kaybetti
2 April 2024
Ekonomim reported 29 deaths and cited Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya saying an investigation had been opened into the fire in Gayrettepe.
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19
T24
Gayrettepe’deki yangın faciasında yeni detaylar
2 April 2024
T24 reported that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial investigation and three prosecutors were assigned; it also reported that detentions increased to eight.
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20
T24
29 kişinin öldüğü Masquerade yangını: Ailelerin yeni bilirkişi ve keşif talepleri reddedildi
18 May 2026
T24 reported on a 2026 hearing at Çağlayan Courthouse concerning the fire in which 29 workers died, stating that families’ requests for a new expert report and site inspection were rejected.
⚠️ Trial follow-up
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21
Cumhuriyet
29 kişinin öldüğü Masquerade yangını: Ailelerin yeni bilirkişi ve keşif talepleri reddedildi
18 May 2026
Cumhuriyet reported that the trial over the Masquerade Club fire continued, the court ordered continued detention of defendants, rejected families’ requests for a new expert report and inspection, and postponed the hearing to 10 July.
⚠️ Trial follow-up
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22
ANKA Haber
Gayrettepe’de 29 kişinin öldüğü gece kulübü yangını davası
3 November 2025
ANKA reported that the trial of 22 defendants, including business owners, continued at Istanbul 33rd High Criminal Court, and that an expert report described the fire as foreseeable, preventable, and avoidable with simple measures.
⚠️ Expert-report coverage
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23
CNN / WRAL
Fire at Istanbul nightclub kills dozens during renovation work, state media says
2 April 2024
CNN reported that at least 29 people died in a blaze that began during daytime repair work at a nightclub in Istanbul, citing state media and the Istanbul governor’s office.
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24
Sky News
Turkey: Dozens killed in Istanbul nightclub fire
2 April 2024
Sky News described the fire as breaking out during renovation work at the Masquerade nightclub on the ground floor and basement of a 16-storey residential building in Gayrettepe.
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25
CBS News
Fire tears through nightclub and apartment building in Istanbul, killing at least 29
2 April 2024
CBS reported that the fire began in a basement where builders had been renovating Club Masquerade, killed at least 29 people, and led to eight arrests.
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26
To Vima
Central Istanbul Nightclub Fire Kills at Least 29 People
2 April 2024
To Vima reported that a fire in the basement of a 16-storey building in central Istanbul resulted in at least 29 deaths and eight injuries, seven critical.
⚠️ Higher injury figure
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27
Mixmag Asia
At least 29 people killed in Istanbul nightclub blaze
3 April 2024
Music magazine Mixmag Asia reported that the Masquerade nightclub in Istanbul’s Gayrettepe district had been closed for renovations and that at least 29 people were killed.
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28
CTIF
Night club fire kills at least 29 in central Istanbul
3 April 2024
CTIF reported the incident as a deadly fire at an underground nightclub during daytime renovation work, citing at least 29 deaths.
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29
Üsküdar University
Is the fire disaster that caused 29 deaths in Beşiktaş a work accident?
English page; source result also shows 25 February 2026 version
Üsküdar University published expert commentary by occupational health and safety academics discussing whether the fire should be considered a work accident and addressing evacuation and fire-safety issues.
⚠️ Expert commentary
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30
İSİG Meclisi
29 işçinin can verdiği Masquerade yangınına dair bilirkişi raporu
1 November 2025
İSİG Meclisi described the incident as a fire during renovation work at Masquerade Club in Gayrettepe, Beşiktaş, on 2 April 2024, in which 29 workers died, and discussed an expert report.
⚠️ Expert-report coverage
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31
Evrensel
Gayrettepe işçi katliamının üzerinden 2 yıl geçti: 29 cana karşılık 4 tutuklu var
2026
Evrensel published a two-year retrospective describing the fire at Masquerade in Gayrettepe on 2 April 2024 during renovation work and reporting that 29 workers died.
⚠️ Retrospective
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32
Ali Yerlikaya / X
Interior Minister post on administrative investigation
2 April 2024
Yerlikaya stated that an administrative investigation had been started into the fire in Istanbul Beşiktaş Gayrettepe and that two civil inspectors were assigned.
⚠️ Social source
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33
Dr. Fahrettin Koca / X
Health Minister post on death toll and emergency response
2 April 2024
Koca stated that the death toll in the Istanbul Şişli fire had risen to 29 and that 32 ambulances and one UMKE team were assigned.
⚠️ Social source
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34
Yılmaz Tunç / X
Justice Minister post on judicial investigation and detentions
2 April 2024
Tunç stated that detention orders were issued for five suspects, including workplace officials, a responsible manager, and a person responsible for renovations.
⚠️ Social source
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All Document URLs
Source Links
Direct links listed in the source document, including open-source social media posts.
