Show center seriously damaged in fire
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 07, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Fire has caused enormous damage to the Istanbul Show and Congress Center near the Atatürk Airport without any injuries or casualties, news agencies reported.
Props and material for the dance show ’Troya’ was damaged in the fire as well. The investigation of the cause of the fire was still ongoing when the Hürriyet Daily News & The Economic Review went to press.
Mustafa Özbey, the head of the administration board of the center alleged the fire brigades arrived to the congress center one hour after the fire started. "The cleaning workers said the fire started upstairs. We intervened with fire extinguishers. We called the fire brigades but they arrived one hour later," Özbey said, reported Anatolia news agency.
Özbey also said he had suspicions that it was sabotage. "I have been running this place for five years. Many times the municipality wanted to demolish this building but we won the cases," he said. The municipality turned off the fire system of the center two months ago, Özbey argued as well.
Meanwhile, Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay examined the burned building. "A very sad incident. Istanbul in the shortest possible time needs a show center like that," Günay said, adding that it was tragic that a significant show center could burn down in just a couple of hours.
Mustafa Erdoğan, the producer of the Troya dance show, said the fire gave great damage to his show as well. "I did everything by imagining this scene. We have lots of memories. Our hard work has burned up. The costumes here cannot be produced again. I am so sorry. We have no other place to present the show in Istanbul," Erdoğan said, adding that a show was planned for May 3. Erdoğan said the fire certainly affected the show. "We lost serious technical equipment. We do not know the amount of damage yet. It would take years to reproduce the costumes," he said. Özbey on the other hand said the architectural structure of the center, which is in a tent shape, was not a risk for the building, upon a question from reporters. "It is even safer. It is the greatest show center in Europe," he said.
Mustafa Özbey, the head of the administration board of the center alleged the fire brigades arrived to the congress center one hour after the fire started. "The cleaning workers said the fire started upstairs. We intervened with fire extinguishers. We called the fire brigades but they arrived one hour later," Özbey said, reported Anatolia news agency.
Özbey also said he had suspicions that it was sabotage. "I have been running this place for five years. Many times the municipality wanted to demolish this building but we won the cases," he said. The municipality turned off the fire system of the center two months ago, Özbey argued as well.
Meanwhile, Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay examined the burned building. "A very sad incident. Istanbul in the shortest possible time needs a show center like that," Günay said, adding that it was tragic that a significant show center could burn down in just a couple of hours.
Mustafa Erdoğan, the producer of the Troya dance show, said the fire gave great damage to his show as well. "I did everything by imagining this scene. We have lots of memories. Our hard work has burned up. The costumes here cannot be produced again. I am so sorry. We have no other place to present the show in Istanbul," Erdoğan said, adding that a show was planned for May 3. Erdoğan said the fire certainly affected the show. "We lost serious technical equipment. We do not know the amount of damage yet. It would take years to reproduce the costumes," he said. Özbey on the other hand said the architectural structure of the center, which is in a tent shape, was not a risk for the building, upon a question from reporters. "It is even safer. It is the greatest show center in Europe," he said.