2 killed in apartment fire in Istanbul

A grandmother and her grandchild were killed after a fire erupted at an apartment in central Istanbul on Tuesday, reported Xinhua quoting local media.

The fire broke out on the basement floor of a building in the Esenyurt district on the European side of the city, the NTV broadcaster reported.

Several citizens saw the smoke coming out of the windows of the apartment early in the morning and informed the fire brigade and police teams, it said.

The residents were rescued from the building while some of them, who were badly affected by the smoke, were rushed to hospitals, according to the broadcaster.

It is believed that some electrical faults were the cause of the fire, press reports noted.