Major Fire Broke out at Turkish popular Ski resort, Grand Kartal hotel on early Tuesday at Kartalkaya area of Turkey, which claimed 76 people life and left dozens of people injured.
An officials said that a fire has broke out at a 12-storey hotel at a popular ski resort in Northwestern Turkey on early Tuesday, during the school holiday, which killed 76 people- among them 2 people jumped from the building from windows to escapes from blaze.
At least 51 people injured in this fire incident at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya area, in Bolu province’s Korogula mountains, which some 300 km east of Istanbul, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Yerlikaya told reporters on Tuesday, “We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,”.
But the death toll rises to 76.
The fire at the hotel in Turkey began at around 3:27 am on the restaurant floor and almost an hour at around 4:15 am emergency crew arrived, an authorities stated. There were around 234 guest staying at the hotel Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
At least 20 fire tenders and 28 ambulance arrived at the site, an official state.
An eyewitness of the incident stated, “It was like the apocalypse. The flames engulfed the hotel immediately, like in half an hour.”
A guest staying on the third floor of the hotel said the alarm failed to sound, the Associated Press reported, citing the IHA news agency.
National Mourning Day Declared
Turkey President stated through social media, “A one-day national mourning was declared in order to share the grief of the relatives of our brothers who lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya. On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, our flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset in our country and in our foreign missions. In any case, those who caused such a disaster to occur, those who were negligent and at fault will be held accountable before the law.”
He also added, “Today is not a day for politics; it is a day for solidarity, for being one and together. I would like to express that we expect all actors, including politics, media and local administrators, to respect the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I pray to God to have mercy on our deceased citizens and grant patience to their families; I convey my condolences and get well wishes to our nation. May God protect our country and our nation from such painful events.”
Investigation launched on Turkey Hotel Fire Incident
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, “The judicial investigation launched by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the hotel fire in Bolu Kartalkaya, where 66 of our citizens lost their lives, is being carried out meticulously and from multiple perspectives. Within the scope of the investigation to which our 6 public prosecutors were assigned, 4 people, including the business owner, were detained. “
He also added, “The investigation of the cause of the fire by a panel of 5 experts in the relevant field is ongoing and work is ongoing to determine faults. Every stage of the investigation is carried out with great care and sensitivity. Once again, I wish God’s mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives in the fire disaster, patience to their families, and a speedy recovery to our injured citizens. I extend my best wishes to all our citizens affected by the fire and hope that the same pain will not be experienced again.”
He also said Wednesday as a day of national mourning by stating, “A day of national mourning has been declared to share the pain of our brothers who lost their loved ones. The day is not a day of politics, but of solidarity and unity. We expect everyone, including politics, media and local administrators, to respect the pain of our citizens.”
The Ski Resort is a popular destination to spend holiday in the winter especially during school holidays, which run from January until the first week of February.
