International
66 Dead, 51 Injured in Deadly Fire at Turkish Ski Resort Hotel
- 66 dead, 51 injured in devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu, Turkey.
- Fire broke out during peak ski season, trapping guests in their rooms.
- Rescue efforts continued in freezing conditions, with over 260 responders deployed.
A deadly fire has engulfed the Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey’s Bolu ski resort, claiming the lives of 66 people and injuring at least 51 others, according to officials.
The fire started at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period, with 234 people staying at the 12-story hotel.
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10 deaths were initially reported, but this number quickly rose as rescue operations continued. At least two victims reportedly died after jumping from the hotel’s windows.
Eyewitness footage from the scene showed people using linen from windows to escape the blaze, while authorities indicated the fire likely started in the hotel’s restaurant on the fourth floor and spread rapidly to the upper levels.
Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin explained that the hotel’s remote location and freezing temperatures delayed fire response by more than an hour.
Despite this, emergency services deployed 267 personnel to the site, continuing rescue efforts into the morning.
The Grand Kartal Hotel is a popular destination for skiers, particularly from Istanbul and Ankara. Though the fire was contained to one building, a neighbouring hotel was evacuated as a precaution.
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Ski instructor Necmi Kepcetutan, who survived the fire, shared his experience of helping to rescue several guests. “People were shouting ‘Save us’ from the windows due to the smoke,” he told Turkish TV.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, and Turkish prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the incident.
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