On 23 January, around 9:45 p.m., a fire broke out in the accommodation area of the Holy Savior Armenian Catholic Church in Istanbul. Firefighters extinguished the fire, but during the search and rescue operations, the bodies of 2 people were found.
Ermenihaber.am writes.
Mustafa Demirelli, Хead of Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, and Poghos Levon Zekiyan, spiritual leader of the Armenian Catholic Community in Turkey, arrived at the scene. In a conversation with journalists, Demirelli noted that the causes of the fire are still unknown.
According to the report of the Istanbul Governorate, 4 people were evacuated during the fire fighting operations, 2 of them were taken to the hospital. An investigation has started. The Governorate expressed its condolences to the church community and the residents of the district.