At least 66 people died and 51 were injured at a fire mishap at a hotel at a ski resort in Bolu province of north-western Turkey on Tuesday.
At 3:27 AM, a fire was reported at a hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Center, where approximately 234 guests were staying at the time. Following the incident 267 personnel from various public institutions and organizations intervened to control the fire.
Turkiye’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya shared the details of the incident through a post on X and wrote, “I wish God’s mercy upon our citizens who lost their lives and a speedy recovery to our injured.”
According to Abdulaziz Aydin, Bolu governor two victims died by jumping from the building in panic. Several other people also tried to climb down the building using sheets and blankets.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and six prosecutors have been appointed to lead the inquiry.
The 161-room hotel is situated on the side of a cliff, making it challenging to combat the flames. 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site to control the fire.
As a precautionary measure, other hotels at the resort were also evacuated and the guests were shifted to hotels around Bolu.
Several videos of the blazing hotel have gone viral on social media platforms and broadcast by Turkish TV channels. The video showed flames coming outof the top floors of the hotel.
