A house fire claimed the lives of five children, four of them siblings, in the Selçuk district of İzmir, western Turkey. The fire broke out in a home in the Cumhuriyet neighborhood, where neighbors reported the incident to emergency services upon seeing flames.
After arriving at the scene, fighters were joined by the children's mother, who was reportedly out collecting recyclables to sell at the time. Anadolu Agency (AA) reports that three of the children died at the scene due to smoke inhalation, while the other two were taken to Selçuk State Hospital but could not be saved despite medical efforts.
The children have been identified as Fadime Nefes (5), Funda Peri (4), Aslan Miraç (3), Masal Işık (2), and Aras Bulut Akcan (1).
The mother, 27-year-old Melisa Sinem Akcan, arrived at the hospital visibly distressed and later collapsed. After receiving medical treatment, Akcan was taken into custody for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation. She is expected to remain under medical care overnight before being transferred to the police.
Authorities confirmed that the children’s father is currently in prison, and the children were alone at home when the fire broke out.
Selçuk District Governor Oğuz Alp Çağlar visited the hospital to receive updates from officials. The bodies of the children were transported to the İzmir Forensic Medicine Institute for autopsy following initial procedures at the hospital.
Initial investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by an overturned electric heater. (VK)
