Fire destroys six businesses in Istanbul’s Tophane district

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Four traditional nargile cafes and two clothing stores in the district were completely damaged from the flames. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah GÜREL

A fire broke out in Istanbul’s Tophane district yesterday morning, turning six businesses into charred remains. Four of the businesses were traditional nargile cafes.

Two clothing stores were also damaged from the flames. No injuries were reported.

According to reports, the fire started when an ember pot was accidentally dropped. The fire rapidly spread to other businesses in the area.

“The businesses were burnt down in just minutes, despite efforts of the owners and firefighters, who tried to put out the fire,” said Fatih Yıldız, who works in the district, to the Hürriyet Daily News.

Yıldız said when the firefighters reached the scene it was already too late to avoid damage.

Two of the affected nargile cafe owners said they had insurance that would cover the damage, while the other two said they were not insured.

Profits
Local cafe owners now complain the fire will directly affect their profits. “We were preparing for the football match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe,” said cafe owner İbrahim Özdilli.