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29 workers had lost their lives: 12punto enters the street where the tragedy occurred

12punto spoke with citizens on the street where the Masquerade venue is located, where a fire broke out and 29 people lost their lives. Citizens speaking to 12punto stated that the club's customer profile consisted of Arabs, and that it had recently been popular with Iranians and Kuwaitis.

Ercan Küçük

Ercan KÜÇÜK - 12punto.com.tr

The main entrance of the venue named 'Masquerade' is on Yıldızposta Street, while its other entrance is located on Gönenoğlu Street. The entrances and exits of the streets where the club is located have been closed off with police barricades. Investigations by fire department teams and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security regarding the fire are ongoing. 

BUILDING EVACUATED

We spoke with the neighbors of the Masquerade nightclub where the fire broke out. Citizens said that the nightclub's soundproofing was well-done and that it did not cause any disturbance to the outside or to those living in the building. A resident who spoke to 12punto and moved into the building 4 years ago said that the staff were very polite to the building's residents, and that they suspected there had been some issues with the residents in the past. The resident stated that a transformer exploded due to the fire, which led to the building being evacuated, and that they were not provided with a place to stay, leaving everyone to fend for themselves.

According to information 12punto obtained from citizens, the nightclub, which has hosted world-famous groups and singers like Fifty Cent, has a normal capacity of 600 people, but entries reach up to 1,500 people. The club is not open every day of the week. While a neighborhood resident living in the building across from the club said the venue is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, another citizen mentioned that an Iranian night is held once a week. It is emphasized that Arabs make up the majority of the venue's customers, and that luxury vehicles with Iranian and Kuwaiti license plates come to the venue. It is even said that on some nights, customers are told, "We are not admitting Syrians tonight."

The club closes every year during the month of Ramadan for renovations. The club, which had also entered renovations this year, was expected to open during the Ramadan Feast. Citizens living on the street where the venue is located stated that arguments and fights occasionally occurred at the entrance of the venue, and that a security guard lost his life in a clash that took place 4-5 years ago. 

Another building resident who spoke to 12punto said that, contrary to the site manager's assistant, they had not had any complaints about the club for years, and that they had even gone to the venue themselves on some nights. The building residents also stated that the building has a more complex architectural structure, and therefore the nightclub has no direct connection to the building. The club, which draws attention with its column-free appearance, is reportedly the largest column-free nightclub in Istanbul.