Man severely burned rescuing family from Hatay apartment fire

A fire that erupted in a five-story building in Hatay, Turkey, left one man with severe burns after he bravely re-entered the burning structure to save his family. The blaze, which began on the ground floor of the building in the Çekmece neighborhood of Defne district, rapidly spread.

Levent Kuru was attempting to exit the building when he realized his mother and nephews were still inside. Driven by a desire to save them, he rushed back into the flames. During the rescue attempt, Kuru sustained burns to various parts of his body and face. He is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

Kuru recounted that the fire started suddenly, with a lamp and a mobile phone exploding almost simultaneously. He believes flammable materials near the phone, possibly cologne, ignited the blaze. "The lamp above our heads and the phone on the floor exploded at the same time. There was cologne next to the phone, and the house instantly turned into a ball of fire," Kuru stated.

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The lamp above our heads and the phone on the floor exploded at the same time. There was cologne next to the phone, and the house instantly turned into a ball of fire.

Despite initial theories from neighbors suggesting the fire might have originated from decorative balloons Kuru's family was preparing, he insists the cause was an electrical fault. "Our doctor and fellow citizens are taking care of me, may God be pleased with them. I am fine now, thank God, but I have quite a few burns on my body. I have burns on both my arms, my face, and my right leg, and my body. I have partial mobility loss. Because we were working with balloons, our neighbors thought it started from that, but they are the ones who are fine. The fire started from the electrical installation," he explained.

The incident highlights the dangers of electrical faults and the heroic actions taken by individuals in emergency situations. Kuru's injuries, though severe, underscore his commitment to his family's safety.

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Our doctor and fellow citizens are taking care of me, may God be pleased with them. I am fine now, thank God, but I have quite a few burns on my body. I have burns on both my arms, my face, and my right leg, and my body. I have partial mobility loss. Because we were working with balloons, our neighbors thought it started from that, but they are the ones who are fine. The fire started from the electrical installation.