TOWERING INFERNO: Shopping Centre Catches Fire In Istanbul

A fire that devastated a Turkish shopping centre after it broke out in a store that was closed for renovations.

The Metro City AVM in the Istanbul district of Levent was completely evaporated when the fire broke out, with 34 fire crews tackling the blaze that sent a thick black smoke spiralling into the air.

As well as local crews several engines from neighbouring regions were also rushed to the scene, and nobody was reported hurt after the emergency evacuation was ordered apart from some people suffering from smoke inhalation.

Initial reports suggested the fire might have broken out in a nightclub but it later turned out that it had started in a shop that was closed for renovations.

It reportedly took an hour to bring under control with only some people being treated for mild smoke inhalation.

Metrocity AVM General Manager Ali İhsan Atar said that the entire property was evacuated within eight minutes and that they were waiting for the report from the fire department to assess the extent of the damage.

The blaze also caused chaos on roads as the smoke and the large numbers of foreign goods meant that roads nearby had to be closed.