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A fire at a popular ski resort hotel in Turkey has killed at least 66 people, Turkey‘s interior minister said.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster.
“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Mr Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.
Health minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in a serious condition.
The fire broke out at around 3.30am in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Fire broke out during school holiday season
The blaze in Kartalkaya coincided with school holidays in Turkey.
Many families from nearby Istanbul and Ankara head to the Bolu mountains to ski during this time.
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:20
Watch: Video from scene after fire broke out at ski resort hotel
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:16
238 guests staying at hotel, interior minister says
Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey’s interior minister, said there were 238 guests at the hotel lying at the base of several ski slopes.
“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” he said in offering condolences.
“The fire has now been extinguished. Cooling efforts are ongoing. Since the back of the hotel is on a slope, fire extinguishing efforts could only be carried out from the front and side facades.”
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:12
Those responsible for blaze will be held to account, Erdogan says
In an address in Ankara, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: “Unfortunately, we received very sad news this morning from Bolu, Kartalkaya. Our brothers and sisters were killed and injured in a fire that broke out in a hotel.”
“All necessary steps will be taken to shed light on all aspects of the incident and to hold those responsible accountable,” he added.
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:09
Witness says smoke made escape difficult
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building.
He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel.
He said the hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to find the fire escape.
“I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” the ski instructor told the station.
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:07
Dozens killed after blaze at ski resort hotel
A fire at a popular ski resort hotel in Turkey has killed at least 66 people, Turkey‘s interior minister said.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster.
“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Mr Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.
Health minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in a serious condition.
The fire broke out at around 3.30am in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 13:00
Some victims died after jumping from window, governor says
Two of the victims died after jumping from the building in a panic, Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Private NTV television said some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.
There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said.
Tom Barnes21 January 2025 12:58
