A devastating fire broke out early Tuesday at a 12-story hotel in a popular ski resort in northwestern Türkiye, during a school holiday, resulting in at least 76 deaths. Authorities confirmed that at least two people died after jumping from the building in a desperate attempt to escape the flames.
The fire occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, located around 300 kilometres (185 miles) east of Istanbul. At least 51 others were injured in the blaze, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The fire struck just as the two-week winter break for schools began, a time when hotels in the region are typically full.
“Our hearts are broken. We are in mourning,” Yerlikaya said outside the hotel. “But you should know that whoever is responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice.”
Atakan Yelkovan, a guest at the hotel staying on the third floor, described the chaos as people on the upper floors tried to flee, some attempting to lower themselves from their rooms using sheets and blankets.
“People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets … Some tried to jump,” Yelkovan recounted.
Yerlikaya confirmed that 45 of the 76 victims had been identified, with efforts ongoing to identify the remaining victims.
“Forty-five bodies were delivered to their families. We could not (immediately) identify the others,” Yerlikaya said. He added that emergency teams would conduct a final search for victims on Wednesday.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu reported that at least one of the injured was in critical condition, while 17 others had been treated and released.
The hotel had 238 registered guests at the time of the fire. The blaze was reported at 3:27 a.m., and the fire department began responding at 4:15 a.m., Yerlikaya confirmed to reporters.
