Inferno rips through flats in Brit holiday hotspot as people jump from balconies

A devastating fire has raged at a holiday hotspot for Brits, forcing some flat block residents to jump off their balconies to escape the blaze.

Flames were so intense that they illuminated the night sky above the upmarket Narlıdere district of Izmir province in Turkey.

The fire reportedly started at around 10.30pm last night (April 27) and spread rapidly, engulfing the entire building down the coast from Brit holiday hotspots like Bodrum.

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The scene was captured on video, showing the blaze and plumes of smoke rising from the structure.

Videos online have also been shared appearing to show people leaping off balconies before being rushed to hospital.

Meanwhile, firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the inferno, which produced loud explosions throughout the night.

As dawn approached, the full extent of the damage became apparent.

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All eight floors of the building appeared to have been gutted by the fire, leaving the furniture and other belongings of the residents completely destroyed.

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer assured the public that the fire department was doing everything in its power to contain the blaze.

He noted that the exterior of the building was covered in wooden cladding, which posed a challenge for firefighters trying to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures.

Mayor Soyer said that everyone was hoping and praying that no lives were lost in the disaster, with so far little news available on any injuries or casualties.

Fire crews have been working on tackling the large-scale fire throughout the night, though it remains unclear how many teams have been deployed to the scene.

It is also currently unknown how the fire started and no official statements from the government have been made as yet.

Turkey is still reeling from a major earthquake that killed thousands of people and left millions of others homeless in February.

The government is still grappling with the aftermath of the disaster, with more than 160,000 buildings were severely damaged or collapsed.

It had come under rare criticism from Turkish citizens, with many squaring blame at president Recep Erdogan's perceived inaction as the disaster unfolded.

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