Two Syrian children die in Istanbul fire

ISTANBUL

Two Syrian children have lost their lives in an Istanbul house fire.

The pair died early Friday after a blaze broke out in their apartment building in the city’s Zeytinburnu district, police said.

The fire has been blamed on an electric heater and began at around 4:00 a.m. (2:00 GMT) at the five-story building where Muhammed Weysi and his family lived in the first floor, Istanbul fire department said.

Firefighters and medical teams were sent to the scene after local people raised the alarm.

Weysi managed to rescue his wife Muntua and one daughter as well as one son but became injured as he tried to re-enter the burning property to rescue his two remaining children, an Anadolu Agency correspondent at the scene reported.

Weysi Weysi, 5, and Reyyen Weysi, 9, were unable to escape the apartment and died at the scene.

Weysi and his daughter were taken to Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital.

An investigation has been launched.

Currently, Turkey hosts 2.7 million Syrian and 170,000 Iraqi refugees.