Turkish authorities arrest four over fire that killed schoolgirls

ANKARA: Turkish authorities arrested four people on Sunday in connection with a fire at a dormitory in the southern Adana province that killed 11 schoolgirls and one other person, state media reported.

The four, who were arrested pending trial, included the manager of the dormitory and the head of an affiliated foundation, Anadolu Agency reported, citing a judiciary source. Reuters was not immediately able to reach anyone for comment at the local court.



The fire in the town of Aladag on Tuesday swept through the two-storey dormitory, causing the roof to collapse. Twenty-four people, many of them schoolgirls, were injured. The government has said an electrical fault may have been the cause of the fire.

Opposition politicians have complained of lax regulation and criticised an education policy that has seen a growing number of such dormitories set up to house poor students from villages where there are no state schools.

Local media said the dormitory was run by one of the several religious movements in Turkey that operate such facilities.

Earlier this week police issued warrants to detain 14 people for questioning in connection with the fire.