Ali Meşe, an 83-year-old man from Bolu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, became homeless after his house was destroyed by fire.
The entire country has been left saddened by the event after a photo of the heartbreaking moment went viral:
An old man tried to light a wood stove with gasoline. It was a big mistake. A wood stove exploded and his house burst into flames. Neighbors noticed the fire and called firefighters.
Luckily, Ali, his family, and a cat were saved, and the tragedy did not result in any serious injuries.
Like many people in Turkey, Ali Meşe is very fond of cats. Some of his cats were in the house when a wooden stove exploded. Unfortunately, these cats, except for one cat Ali rescued, died in a fire. An old man also lost almost all of his hens.
Video https://youtu.be/kTC0lVy5JRA
The local authorities promised support to Meşe and his family.
Ali Meşe was taken to the hospital to treat his minor burns and a day later reunited with his cat.
Author: Anadolu Kedisi
Photo Credits: İlhami Çetin, Mehmet Emin Gürbüz
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Ali Meşe is from Ordu province. He lives in Ordular village, which is located in Bolu.
In Turkish:
Evinin Yanışını Anadolu Kedisine Sarılarak Gözyaşları İçinde İzledi
References
Anadolu Ajansı
Southworth P., Pearson, J. B. (2018, January 20). Heartbreaking new video shows the moment pensioner saves his cat Sarikiz after losing everything in house fire – as fund raises £4000 for him, wife and their beloved feline. Daily Mail.
