According to the latest reports, at least 66 people have lost their lives in a hotel brand in the Turkish winter sports resort of Kartalkaya. Another 51 were injured. The updated numbers were announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who expressed his “great distress”. On Tuesday morning, Turkish authorities had reported 10 dead and 32 injured. The cause of the fire remains unclear.
According to media reports, the fire broke out at 3:30 am local time in the restaurant of the 11-story and largely wooden-built hotel. At the time of the tragedy, there were 234 guests in the building. Thirty firefighting vehicles were involved in the rescue efforts, and firefighters continued to battle the flames in the morning. The fire fighting was hindered by strong winds. Interior Minister Yerlikaya also stated that the fire could not be extinguished from all sides, as the hotel is situated on a slope.
Local media reported, citing eyewitnesses, that some people had tried to escape by climbing out of their rooms using sheets. Some had jumped out of the windows to save themselves. Due to the heavy smoke development, it was difficult to find the stairs to the emergency exit. Television footage showed the hotel’s roof and upper floors engulfed in flames.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his condolences to the victims on social media, wishing a speedy recovery to the survivors. He is closely following the situation and an investigation has been launched, he added.
The Turkish Broadcasting Corporation RTÜK imposed a news ban on the incident, citing the need to prevent the spread of false information.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced that four people, including the hotel owner, had been arrested as part of the investigation.
The Kartalkaya ski resort is located in the Köroğlu mountain range in the northern province of Bolu and is very popular. It is about 40 kilometers from the provincial capital of Bolu and approximately 270 kilometers from Istanbul. School holidays are currently in effect in Turkey.