A fire ripped through a perfume warehouse in the industrial town of Dilovası, north-west Turkey, on the morning of Saturday, November 8, 2025, killing six people and injuring others as emergency teams brought the blaze under control.
According to provincial officials, the blaze began at about 9:00 a.m. local time and was reportedly preceded by a series of explosions. Firefighters and rescue crews responded quickly and managed to bring the fire under control within about an hour, though two storeys of the depot were heavily damaged.
Authorities confirmed six fatalities; accounts in Turkish media and statements by the local governor give the number consistently as six. Reports about the number of injured vary between outlets — some said one person was hospitalized while others reported up to five injured, including at least one person in critical condition with severe burns. The mayor of Kocaeli said two teenage girls, aged 16 and 17, were among the dead.
Justice and labour ministries announced an immediate investigation. Turkish ministers said detention warrants were issued and three people — including the warehouse owner and two senior staff members have been detained or arrested in connection with the incident; several civil servants from social security and labour bodies were also reported suspended pending the inquiry.
Eyewitnesses described explosions, heavy flames and people screaming for help as the fire took hold. Broadcast footage and images showed sections of the warehouse’s exterior burned away and two floors destroyed. Local officials stressed the origin of the blaze remained unknown while forensic and prosecutorial teams worked at the scene.
Turkey’s interior and justice ministries said prosecutors were assigned to the case and criminal inquiries were under way. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended condolences, and the labour ministry announced it had opened investigations into workplace safety and potential regulatory failings connected to the depot. Officials said the probe will examine cause, adherence to safety rules and whether negligence or flammable goods storage procedures played a part.
Dilovası is about 70 kilometres (roughly 43 miles) from Istanbul and hosts many industrial plants, warehouses and depots — factors that officials said complicated initial response and raised concerns about hazardous materials in storage. Fire services from the region were mobilized in large numbers and coordinated the response with municipal rescue teams.
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