MEP: At least 12 schoolchildren have been killed after a fire broke out in a girls’ dormitory in the southern Turkish province of Adana on Tuesday, officials said.
The fire raced through the three-storey building’s wooden interior as panicked victims tried to jump from windows to safety.
The fire was likely caused by an electrical fault.
Omer Celik, a senior government official who represents the province in parliament, told broadcaster CNN Turk that at least twenty-two other girls were also injured. Among the dead was a woman who worked at the dormitory.
There were scenes of devastation as emergency services arrived to tackle the fire at the dormitory building, with parts of the building a blazing wreck and the roof collapsing.
Officials expressed concern that many of the dead were killed after they were unable to open a closed fire door to escape the top floors of the building.
The Dogan news agency said all 12 of the girls were 14 or under.