Fire At Turkish Ski Resort Hotel Kills 66 People, 51 Injured

The blaze, that took place at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey, began around 3:30 am (local time) on the restaurant floor of the 11-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, Reuters reported.

The fire took place at the Kartalkaya ski resort in northern Turkey.

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A fire at a ski resort hotel in northern Turkey's Bolu mountains has killed 66 people and injured 51 people on Tuesday, Turkish Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said.

The blaze, that took place at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey, began around 3:30 am (local time) on the restaurant floor of the 11-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, Reuters reported. The fire forced panicked guests to jump out of windows in the middle of the night, Reuters reported.

#BREAKING At least 234 guests at Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya in Bolu, Turkey where fire broke out, governor says. At least 10 dead, 32 injured. #Bolu #Kartalkaya #Turkiye #Fire pic.twitter.com/DIZWM1u8EB

— 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 (@HamdiCelikbas) January 21, 2025

Fire At Turkey Ski Resort Occurred During Holiday Season  

Several fire brigades were rushed to the spot even as visuals showed the building engulfed in huge blaze. Visuals showed white bed sheets tied together and hanging from the windows while guests attempted to flee.

The fire occurred at the Grand Kartal Hotel during a busy holiday period and around 234 people were staying at the premise. Bolu is about 170 kilometres from capital Ankara.

Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin quoting the initial reports said that the fire had broken out in the restaurant situated on the hotel's fourth floor and later spread to the floors above.

Later, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that the fire has been extinguished and added that the fire crews began battling the blaze about 45 minutes after the first call.

 

"The fire has now been extinguished. Cooling efforts are ongoing. Since the back of the hotel is on a slope, fire extinguishing efforts could only be carried out from the front and side facades," he said. 

 

An investigation was underway into the fire, which coincided with school holidays when many families from nearby Istanbul and Ankara head to the Bolu mountains to ski.