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 four people were in hospital, with one in critical condition being treated at a burns unit.

The cause of the fire is still unclear. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his “deepest condolences to the families” and said the government’s labour ministry has started an investigation.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation had been launched and three people have been detained.

Images shown by Turkish media show firefighters extinguishing large flames.

“There was an explosion,” a witness told news outlet Sabah. “I got up, looked down; the man was burning… I extinguished the fire, then I heard shouting. When I looked towards the sound, children and women were screaming inside the factory.”

The blaze broke out in the Mimar Sinon neighbourhood of Dilovasi, an industrial town hosting numerous depots and factories that is located around 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Istanbul.