07.02.2025 17:21
The father of 12-year-old Nazlıcan Pehlivan, who lost her life in a fire that broke out in their apartment in Başakşehir while waking her family and staying trapped in the flames, recounted the horrifying moments. The grieving father said, "Nazlıcan told her brother, 'I can't come, my bed is on fire. Wake my dad, save me.' I couldn't do anything at that moment. She saved us, but she sacrificed herself."
A fire broke out today around 06:00 in the top floor of a three-story building located on Çağlayan Street in the Güvercintepe neighborhood of Başakşehir, Istanbul. The fire, which is believed to have originated from an electric heater, quickly spread throughout the building. Nazlıcan Pehlivan (12), who noticed the fire, woke her brother up.
NAZLICAN LOST HER LIFE
Of the six people in the apartment, five managed to escape on their own while Nazlıcan was trapped inside. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene upon notification. While the firefighters extinguished the fire, medical teams determined that Nazlıcan had lost her life. The family, engulfed in flames, became uninhabitable.
"'I CAN'T COME, MY BED IS ON FIRE'"
Nazlıcan's father, Oktay Pehlivan, recounted the horrifying moments with the following words: "There was nothing when we went to sleep in the evening. The electric heater was next to me. We plugged in the electric stove. Since the ceiling was made of paneling, it started to catch fire around 6 in the morning. Of course, the wires were heating up because of the electric stove. First, the ceiling started to burn, and my daughter's bed was right there. Her 14-year-old brother was sleeping here. After the ceiling was completely engulfed in flames, my daughter called out to her brother. 'Brother, wake up mom and dad,' she said. The house is on fire. The child wakes up, but at that moment, the flames had already engulfed half of the house. While her brother was coming to save us, he shouted, 'Nazlıcan, you come too.' She replied, 'Brother, I can't come, my bed is on fire. I can't come because of the flames, wake up dad, save me,' she said."
"HE SAVED US BUT SACRIFICED HIMSELF"
Pehlivan stated that when his son lifted him, the entire house was engulfed in flames up to 30 centimeters above the ground. "There was pitch-black smoke, and flames were bursting out due to the smoke. I was calling out Nazlıcan, but she had hidden in the gap between two beds to protect herself from the flames. I couldn't do anything at that moment. As the flames began to grow towards the living room, the paneling in the living room started to catch fire. The ceiling ignited. If the child hadn't called her brother, if the children hadn't woken us up, neither I nor my daughters on the other side nor the children here would be alive right now. He saved us but sacrificed himself. He left as a clean child. He was very shy and reserved. He was a successful student. I am pleased, and may God be pleased with him too," he said.
"WHILE I WAS SORRY FOR THE GIRL WHO DIED IN THE HOTEL FIRE, THIS HAPPENED TO ME"
Pehlivan said, "A house can be lost, everything can be lost, but losing a life is very bad. Two days ago, there was a girl student who died in a hotel fire. They placed flowers on her desk. While I was sorry for that child, two days later, this happened to me. What I want to say is that people should definitely not use electric stoves when going to bed at night, no matter what they do. Right now, my daughter is lying in the morgue. We were supposed to go out together today." he spoke.