A devastating overnight fire in Istanbul’s Pendik district resulted in the deaths of three children, while one remains in critical condition, prompting a multi-agency investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the family’s situation.
According to a formal statement from the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the fire broke out at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Thursday on Umman Street in the Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood. The cause of the blaze has not yet been identified. Emergency response units, including several fire crews and medical teams, were deployed immediately after residents reported heavy smoke and flames.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze shortly after arrival. During the search inside the affected apartment, emergency personnel discovered four unconscious children in a room of the residence. Medical teams administered rapid on-site intervention before transporting all four to nearby hospitals.
Despite intensive medical efforts, Cennet Çelikkol, 9, Zülfikar Sepetci, 5, and Özden Sepetci, 2, succumbed to their injuries. The fourth child, Muhammed Ali Çelikkol, born in 2014, remains in intensive care under close clinical monitoring.
Authorities noted that the children’s mother, Selvi Sepetci, was not present during the fire. Preliminary findings revealed that she had taken her youngest child, Ela Nur Zurnacı, born in 2025, to Kartal Training and Research Hospital for treatment at the time of the incident.
The investigation will determine whether any negligence contributed to the tragedy. Sepetci was briefly taken into custody during the inquiry and was released after initial findings indicated no direct fault. Conversely, officials confirmed that the children’s father, T.Ö., was in police custody during the fire due to an unrelated outstanding warrant.
The exact cause of the fire will be determined following a technical assessment led by the fire department. Prosecutors have initiated a comprehensive investigation.
Local residents, who attempted to intervene before emergency teams arrived, provided harrowing accounts.
Neighbor Bayram Yoldaş stated that he smelled burning shortly after returning home, before hearing distress calls from outside. "When I reached the entrance, the heat hit us immediately. Smoke and flames made it impossible to see,” he said. "Once we broke the windows, visibility improved. All four children were inside. One was still breathing when we pulled them out.”
Another resident, Raşit Yoldaş, explained how he used a makeshift tool to break through the window bars. "We handed the children out one by one. One of them had faint breathing, and we supported firefighters in performing resuscitation.”
Witnesses also noted that the family had moved to the neighborhood two months earlier and frequently collected recyclables during the day.
Pendik District Governor Mehmet Yıldız and Mayor Ahmet Cin visited the scene on Thursday morning to receive updates from emergency teams and evaluate safety risks in the area.