at-least-76-people-killed-in-ski-resort-fire-in-northwestern-turkiye

A fire raged through a 12-storey hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkiye early Tuesday during a school holiday, killing at least 76 people — at least two of them when they jumped from the building to escape the flames, officials said.

 

At least 51 people also were injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, in Bolu province's Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometres east of Istanbul, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The fire occurred near the start of a two-week winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed.

 

“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.

Atakan Yelkovan, a hotel guest staying on the third floor, told the IHA news agency there was chaos on the upper floors as other guests tried to escape the fire, including by trying to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.

 

“People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... Some tried to jump,” Yelkovan said.

Yerlikaya said 45 of the 76 people killed have been identified while efforts to identify the other victims were continuing.

 

Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one injured was in serious condition, while 17 others were treated and released.

Yerlikaya said that the hotel had 238 registered guests. The fire was reported at 3:27 a.m. and the fire department began to respond at 4:15 a.m., he told reporters.

 

The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the blaze, which is believed to have started in the hotel's restaurant section. Nine people have been detained as part of the investigation into the fire, Yerlikaya said. Earlier, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the hotel's owner was among the people detained for questioning in the probe. .

 

At least two of the victims died when they jumped from the building in panic, Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency earlier. Those killed included Nedim Turkmen, a columnist for Sozcu newspaper, his wife and two children, the newspaper announced.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning to be observed on Wednesday. All flags at government buildings and Turkish diplomatic mission abroad would be lowered to half-staff, he said.