6 People Killed, at Least 4 Others Injured in Fire at Turkish Perfume Factory

Six people are dead, and at least four others have been hospitalized, after a fire engulfed a perfume factory in Turkey.

According to the BBC and the Associated Press, the blaze broke out at around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, Nov. 8, at a factory in Dilovasi, located in the northwestern province of Kocaeli.

Local media also reported that several explosions were heard before the fire began. First responders were dispatched to the scene, and the fire was extinguished in under an hour.

The province’s governor, Ilhami Aktas, told local outlet CNN Turk that four people had been hospitalized, one of whom was in critical condition in a burn unit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his “deepest condolences to the families” in a statement, adding that the government’s labor ministry has opened an investigation, per the BBC.

Images obtained by local media show firefighters extinguishing massive flames, and photos of the aftermath show the factory’s siding completely burned, leaving the interior of the building exposed.

The factory is located in the Mimar Sinon neighborhood of Dilovasi, about 43 miles outside Istanbul. The town, which has a population of around 50,000 people, is known for being industrial and is home to numerous depots and factories.

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One witness who spoke with local news outlet Sabah recalled seeing an explosion, immediately followed by the massive blaze.

“There was an explosion,” the witness said, per the BBC. “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.”

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation has been launched and three people have been detained, per the BBC.