5 Workers from Syria Lose Their Lives in Fire

* Photograph: Ali Balıkçı - Ankara / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

In a fire that broke out in a four-storeyed factory in the Furniture Manufacturers' Site in the district of Aladağ in Ankara yesterday (January 16), five workers from Syria have lost their lives.

Five other workers were rescued by fire brigade crews.

According to a report released by the Laborers' Health and Occupational Safety (İSİG) Assembly on the occasion of December 18 International Migrants Day, at least 108 migrant-refugee workers lost their lives in occupational homicides in Turkey throughout 2018.

The figures shared by the İSİG Assembly have also shown that 1,923 workers in total died in Turkey in 2018.

In the report of the Assembly, it was stated that almost none of the deaths of migrant-refugee workers was reported in the news in Turkey, implying that the actual number of migrant-refugee workers who died in occupational homicides might be far above the stated figure.

According to the data shared by the İSİG Assembly, the number of migrant-refugee worker deaths has been gradually increasing over the years: In 2013, 22 migrant-refugee workers; in 2014, 53 migrant-refugee workers; in 2015, 67 migrant-refugee workers; in 2016, 96 migrant-refugee workers; in 2017, 88 migrant-refugee workers workers lost their lives.

"Works to identify two workers still continue"

Releasing a statement after the fire, Vice Minister of Interior Mehmet Ersoy indicated that the fire started at around 6 p.m. and added:

"Our five citizens from Syria, who were working at the factory around the time when the fire broke out, unfortunately, went upstairs so as not to be affected by the smoke of the fire, which broke out downstairs. When the fire reached the upper floors, we lost them. While three of the deceased could be identified, the works to identify the other two people are still continuing."

Governor: "Inflammable materials in furniture factory"

Governor of Ankara Vasip Şahin also said:

"After the examination of the Prosecutor's Office, it will come to light whether the factory had the necessary equipments for fire escape. The materials at the factory are inflammable. That is why, there was dense smoke." (EKN/SD)