Istanbul Pendik Residential Fire (December 2025)

The Istanbul Pendik Residential Fire was a house fire that occurred on 11 December 2025 in an apartment on the ground floor of a two-story building located on Umman Street in the Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood of Istanbul’s Pendik district, resulting in the deaths of three children and serious injury to one child.

Origin and Emergency Notification

The fire broke out at approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 11 December 2025, in an apartment on the ground floor of the building at No. 5 Umman Street, Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Nearby residents who noticed the flames reported the incident to emergency services via emergency hotlines, alerting fire, police, and medical teams. In response to the alert, numerous response teams were dispatched to the scene.

Response and Rescue Operations

Upon arrival, fire teams quickly intervened and brought the flames under control. During their search and rescue operations inside the building, four children were found unconscious in Apartment No. 1. First aid was administered on-site by medical personnel, after which the injured children were transported by ambulance to nearby hospitals. Residents also assisted in removing the children from the building during the fire.

Children Who Lost Their Lives and Those Injured

Despite all medical efforts, the following children, who were taken to hospital, succumbed to their injuries: Cennet Çelikkol (born 2016), Zülfikar Sepetçi (born 2020), and Özden Sepetçi (born 2023). Muhammed Ali Çelikkol (born 2014) remains intubated and under intensive care treatment at the hospital.

Initial investigations revealed that the children’s mother, Selvi Sepetçi, was not present in the building at the time of the fire. It was determined that she had taken her other child, Ela Nur Zurnacı (born 2025), to Kartal Education and Research Hospital for medical treatment. Selvi Sepetçi was subsequently taken into police custody following the incident. It was also reported that Selvi Sepetçi’s husband, T.O., was in police custody at the time of the fire due to an outstanding warrant related to a separate criminal matter.

Official Statements and Investigation Process

In an official statement issued by the Istanbul Governorate, it was stated that the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, investigations are ongoing, and the definitive cause will be established through the fire department’s official report. Additionally, a judicial investigation has been initiated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Technical examination of the fire’s origin is being conducted by fire department experts. A detailed fire report will be prepared following on-site observations and will serve as a decisive element in the judicial process. While preliminary assessments suggest the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, a heater, or another indoor source, no definitive cause has been established prior to the release of the official report.