Large Istanbul fire damages more than 60 workshops

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

DHA photo

A fire that broke out at a workshop in Istanbul's Bakırköy district today has affected more than 60 workshops in the vicinity, Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu said. 
 
The fire started after paint thinner that was stored in a workshop's attic caught fire. The blaze quickly spread to adjacent buildings, damaging 68 workshops in total. 
 
Mutlu said there were large amounts of fabric and chemicals stored at the workshops, which made it difficult to contain the flames. "We have more than 80 firefighting teams at the scene, and all necessary measures have been taken to contain the fire," he said. 
 
The governor said there were no reports of deaths or injuries. "We hope that our firefighters will put out the fire before it causes any more damage.”

Smoke from the large blaze could be seen from around the city.