04.12.2025 18:29
In the inspection report prepared regarding the fire at the cosmetics factory in the Dilovası district of Kocaeli, where 7 people lost their lives, it was stated that production had begun at the facility without fire department approval and a building occupancy permit. The report emphasized that the fire was caused by inadequate technical infrastructure, poorly maintained equipment, and unsuitable production conditions, and noted that there was no insurance notification for the 7 individuals who lost their lives on the day of the incident.
A fire broke out at a cosmetics factory located on Mimar Sinan Street in the Mimar Sinan neighborhood of Dilovası district in Kocaeli on November 8 at around 09:00. In the fire, Şengül Yılmaz (55), Tuğba Taşdemir (18), Nisa Taşdemir (17), Cansu Esatoğlu (16), Esma Dikan (65), Hanım Gülek (65), and Tuncay Yıldız (48) lost their lives.
7 PEOPLE ARRESTED IN FIRE TRAGEDY, 4 RELEASED UNDER JUDICIAL CONTROL
Among the 11 suspects detained as part of the investigation, company owner Kurtuluş Oransal, company officials İsmail Oransal, Altay Ali Oransal, Aleyna Oransal, and Gökberk Güngör were arrested on charges of 'manslaughter with probable intent', while Ali Osman Akat and Onay Yürüklü were arrested on charges of 'aiding a criminal'. Suspects G.B., H.E., Ö.A., and G.D. were released under judicial control. Kurtuluş Oransal, who suffered a heart attack in the prison where he was held on November 30 and was taken to Kocaeli City Hospital, passed away.
12 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES SUSPENDED
Following the incident, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security announced that the Provincial Director of the Social Security Institution (SGK) in Kocaeli, the Deputy Provincial Director of SGK Kocaeli, the Director of Gebze Social Security Center, the Provincial Director of the Employment Agency in Kocaeli, the Director of the İŞKUR Dilovası Service Center, the Branch Manager responsible for İŞKUR CIMER, and one staff member were suspended. Additionally, the Deputy Mayor of Dilovası, Necati Temiz, the Zoning Director Nizamettin Balcı, and municipal police officers Cengiz Taşdemir, Ömer Kocabay, and Tekin İlaslan were also suspended.
STATIC ELECTRICITY DISCHARGE OR ELECTRICAL CONTACT-RELATED IGNITION
The preliminary report prepared regarding the cause of the fire stated that an explosion and fire occurred during the transfer of alcohol to the boiler in the facility where perfume was produced by mixing ethyl alcohol and essence, due to static electricity discharge or electrical contact-related ignition during the production process.
PRODUCTION STARTED WITHOUT FIRE DEPARTMENT APPROVAL
An inspection report was prepared by the Istanbul Group Presidency of the Guidance and Inspection Department of the Social Security Institution. It was reported that the factory lacked effective grounding, adequate ventilation, explosive atmosphere control systems, fire escape routes, and fire detection-alarm systems, and that production activities began without fire department approval and the facility was used as a workshop without occupancy and fire safety certificates. The operator was identified as the primary fault, while the building owner and the lessee were found to be secondarily but jointly responsible due to renting the property without occupancy and fire safety systems. The report also concluded that public institutions bore secondary administrative responsibility for failing to fulfill their licensing and inspection duties.
NO INSURANCE NOTIFICATION ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT
The report concluded that the fire was caused by inadequate technical infrastructure, poorly maintained equipment, and unsuitable production conditions; the employees and the shift supervisor were not deemed at fault as they were performing their duties within the production order set by the employer. Furthermore, the report indicated that there was no insurance notification for the 7 individuals who lost their lives in the fire on the day of the incident. Eyewitness statements in the report indicated that some employees were able to exit during the initial moments of the fire, but due to the lack of a single exit door and emergency exit, other employees could not escape through the door engulfed in flames and were trapped inside.