A fire in a 12-story hotel in the tourist center of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, Turkey, claimed the lives of at least 66 people and left 51 injured, according to the Turkish Interior Minister. The fire started in the restaurant of the Grand Kartal hotel around 3:30 AM and spread rapidly throughout the building.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu mentioned that at least one injured person was in serious condition. Witnesses reported that the hotel's fire detection system did not work, leading to a tragedy of large magnitude. The situation coincided with school holidays, a time when hotels in the area are usually full.
Authorities deployed 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances to the scene of the fire. As a precaution, other hotels in the ski resort were evacuated, and guests were moved to hotels in Bolu. Meanwhile, at another ski resort in Sivas, a natural gas explosion in a hotel left four people injured.
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the damaged hotel, described the chaos that occurred during the fire and how he helped evacuate several guests. According to him, the smoke impaired visibility inside the building, complicating the emergency exit for many people. Witnesses reported that some guests tried to escape using sheets and blankets.
Firefighting efforts were hindered by the hotel's location, which is next to a ravine. Authorities pointed out that part of the building's design, with chalet-style wooden cladding, may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Meanwhile, authorities continue to investigate the causes of the fire that has shocked the region.
