A tragic fire broke out at a hotel located in the popular ski resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, northwestern Turkey, resulting in the loss of at least 10 lives and leaving 32 others hospitalized. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel, with the fire originating in the restaurant area. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
According to reports, two individuals lost their lives after jumping from the building in a state of panic, while some guests attempted to escape by climbing down using sheets and blankets. The hotel, which had 234 guests at the time of the fire, was engulfed in smoke, hindering evacuation efforts.
Witnesses mentioned that the hotel's fire detection system failed to operate, leading to delays in alerting guests. The situation was exacerbated by the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. The hotel's location on the side of a cliff further complicated firefighting efforts.
Emergency response teams, including 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances, were dispatched to the scene. Despite the swift response, it took approximately an hour for the firefighting teams to arrive, as guests on upper floors faced harrowing conditions, with some resorting to desperate measures to escape the flames.
The government has initiated an investigation into the incident, appointing six prosecutors to lead the inquiry. The tragedy occurred during a peak period for the resort, coinciding with the school semester break when hotels in the region were at full capacity.
As a precautionary measure, other hotels in the vicinity were evacuated, and guests were relocated to alternative accommodations in Bolu. Meanwhile, in a separate incident at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province, a gas explosion resulted in injuries to four individuals, including skiers and instructors.
Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding these tragic events.
