A fire at a 12-story hotel in a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, January 21, claimed the lives of at least 66 people, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister.
Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that at least 51 others were injured in the blaze, which broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, located in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul.
The fire occurred during the school semester break, when hotels in the region are typically crowded.
“We are in deep sorrow. We have tragically lost 66 lives in the fire that erupted at this hotel,” Yerlikaya said after visiting the scene.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu reported that one of the injured was in critical condition, while 17 others had been treated and discharged.
The hotel had 238 registered guests, Yerlikaya added.
The fire was reported at 3:27 a.m., with the fire department beginning its response at 4:15 a.m. The government has appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the cause of the fire, which is believed to have started in the hotel’s restaurant area.
Two victims reportedly died after jumping from the building in panic, and media outlets reported that some guests attempted to climb down using sheets and blankets.
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire broke out. He rushed to help, assisting around 20 guests to evacuate the building. He described the hotel as being filled with smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire exits.
“I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” Kepcetutan said.
Television footage showed the roof and upper floors of the hotel engulfed in flames.
Witnesses indicated that the hotel’s fire alarm system failed to activate. Guest Atakan Yelkovan reported that his wife smelled smoke, but the alarm did not go off. He said they tried to go upstairs but were blocked by flames, eventually managing to escape.
NTV television speculated that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Additionally, the hotel’s location on a cliffside made firefighting efforts more difficult.
Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the hotel had undergone inspections in 2021 and 2024, with no issues reported regarding fire safety.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences, saying, “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.”
He assured that all necessary steps would be taken to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable.
The local authorities sent 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances to the site, and other hotels in the area were evacuated as a precaution.
Meanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel in another ski resort in central Turkey injured four people. The explosion occurred at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province, where two skiers and their instructor sustained minor injuries, and another instructor suffered second-degree burns.
