Ski resort hotel fire kills 76, Turkey detains nine people

22 January 2025 - 08:00 By Ece Toksabay
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Members of Turkish Gendarmerie stand in front of a hotel, following a deadly fire, in the ski resort of Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Turkey, January 21, 2025.
Members of Turkish Gendarmerie stand in front of a hotel, following a deadly fire, in the ski resort of Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Turkey, January 21, 2025.
Image: REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkey has detained nine people, including the owner of the hotel, in connection with a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in western Turkey, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said early on  Wednesday.

Yerlikaya reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed to their families, and DNA tests were being conducted to identify the remaining bodies at the forensic institute.

The fire occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains.

The hotel expressed deep sorrow in a statement on Wednesday and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

"We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of the incident," the statement said.

"We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know we share this pain with all our hearts."

The 12-storey hotel, which had 238 registered guests, was consumed by flames after the fire started on the restaurant floor at about 3.30am. Survivors described scenes of panic as they fled through smoke-filled corridors and jumped from windows to escape.

Authorities are facing growing criticism over the hotel’s safety measures as survivors reported no fire alarms went off during the incident. Guests said they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.

President Tayyip Erdogan declared Wednesday a day of national mourning after the tragedy, which occurred during the peak of the winter tourism season, with many families from Istanbul and Ankara travelling to the Bolu mountains for skiing.

Reuters


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