Factory owner arrested after fatal fire in Ankara

ANKARA

The owner of a sponge factory in the capital Ankara has been arrested in connection with a deadly fire that claimed the lives of three individuals.

Following the fire, Hüseyin Dönmez, the factory owner, was taken into custody and interrogated at the local police station.

Afterward, he was presented before a judge on duty, who made the decision to arrest Dönmez on charges related to negligence leading to multiple fatalities.

Despite Dönmez's claims during his statement at the prosecutor's office that necessary safety controls were in place, the authorities decided to proceed with the charges.

The incident unfolded early on Sept. 19 at a three-story sponge factory located in the Yenimahalle district. The fire, which raged for hours, led to the loss of three lives, including accounting manager Müge Çetinkaya, Iraqi worker Safra Nazım Alcan and Syrian worker Hazım Cüneyt.

Firefighters worked for around three and a half hours to bring the blaze under control, finally extinguishing it during the night.