Church blaze kills two in Turkey's Istanbul
A blaze at an Istanbul church left two dead and two others injured, heavily damaging the historical building.
Two people were killed, and two others were injured in a fire at an iconic Istanbul church, Turkish authorities announced Tuesday.
The authorities said the blaze ripped through the lodging of Surp Pirgic Catholic Church in Istanbul's historical Karakoy neighborhood late Monday. Rescuers and firefighters who were dispatched to the scene reached the body of the two victims during the search of the building after they extinguished the fire early Tuesday, Turkey’s private Demiroren News Agency (DHA) reported.
Omer Celik, spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party, conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“We express our condolences to the dear families of our citizens who lost their lives in the fire that broke out at the lodging of Surp Pirgic Armenian Catholic Church in Karaköy, Istanbul. We convey our best wishes to the parish and our citizens affected by the fire,” he tweeted on Tuesday. Turkey's official religious body also issued a condolence message for the victims
