A fire at a popular ski resort hotel in Turkey has killed at least 76 people as nine people were arrested, Turkey‘s interior minister said.
At least two people died after trying to jump to safety, with images on social media showing linen hanging from windows which was used by those trying to escape the burning building.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster. Nine people, including the owner, have been arrested.
“People all started to jump with panic. One friend jumped from the 11th floor - may God have mercy on him,” said Omer Sakrak, a witness and employee of a neighbouring hotel.
“They tried to climb down using bedsheets. The bedsheets ripped and he unfortunately fell on his head. One father was yelling about his one year-old child: ‘I will throw my child or he will burn’,” he added.
The fire broke out at around 3.30am in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Key Points
- Death toll rises to 76 after horror blaze
- Father heard yelling ‘I will throw my child or he will burn'
- Those responsible will be held accountable, Erdogan vows
- 238 guests staying at hotel, interior minister says
Witnesses describe fire as an ‘apocalypse'
03:30 , Alexander ButlerWitnesses who saw the blaze tear through the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel have described the mayhem and chaos that led to the deaths of at least 76 people.
“It was like the apocalypse. The flames engulfed the hotel immediately, like in half an hour,” said Mevlut Ozer, who witnessed the incident at the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwest Turkey.
In their attempts to flee, several people jumped from windows or attempted to use bed linens to lower themselves to the ground.
Turkey president announces day of mourning for victims of the ski resort fire
02:59 , Maroosha MuzaffarRecep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, declared a day of national mourning on Wednesday for those killed in the ski resort fire that claimed 76 lives.
“A one-day national mourning has been declared across the country tomorrow. I extend my condolences and wish God’s mercy upon our deceased citizens,” Mr Erdogan told reporters in Ankara on Tuesday.
“We expect respect from everyone, including politicians, the media and local administrators, to respect the pain of our citizens,” he said.
According to the The Daily Sabah newspaper, the hotel’s location made it difficult for firefighters to control the blaze.
Fire crews could only tackle blaze from the front and sides
02:00 , Alexander ButlerInterior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said there were 238 guests at the hotel situated at the base of several ski slopes and which smouldered until the afternoon.
“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” he said at the resort in offering condolences and announcing that the fire was extinguished.
“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, adding crews began battling the mountaintop blaze about 45 minutes after the first call.
Watch: Video from scene after fire broke out at ski resort hotel
01:00 , Alexander ButlerFather heard yelling ‘I will throw my child or he will burn'
Tuesday 21 January 2025 22:57 , Alexander ButlerSeveral fire engines and ambulances later surrounded the charred, wood-fronted building, with white bed sheets tied together and dangling from at least three upper-floor windows where people tried to flee.
“People all started to jump with panic. One friend jumped from the 11th floor - may God have mercy on him,” said Omer Sakrak, another witness and employee of a neighbouring hotel.
“They tried to climb down using bedsheets. The bedsheets ripped as one friend tried ... and he unfortunately fell on his head,” he told Reuters. “One father was yelling about his one year-old child: ‘I will throw my child or he will burn’.”
Hotel guests told TV broadcasters they fled through smoke-filled corridors and heard no alarms.
Witnesses describe fire as an ‘apocalypse'
Tuesday 21 January 2025 21:00 , Holly EvansWitnesses who saw the blaze tear through the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel have described the mayhem and chaos that led to the deaths of at least 66 people.
“It was like the apocalypse. The flames engulfed the hotel immediately, like in half an hour,” said Mevlut Ozer, who witnessed the incident at the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwest Turkey.
In their attempts to flee, several people jumped from windows or attempted to use bed linens to lower themselves to the ground.
Death toll rises to 76
Tuesday 21 January 2025 20:45 , Alex RossThe death toll from a fire that raged through a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday has risen to 76, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.Yerlikaya said 45 of the dead have been identified while efforts to identify the other victims were continuing.The minister said authorities have detained nine people as part of an investigation into the disaster.
Day of national mourning announced by Turkish president
Tuesday 21 January 2025 20:00 , Holly EvansA day of national mourning has been declared on Wednesday after at least 66 people died in a fire at a popular ski resort in Turkey.
In a post on social media site X, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: “A one-day national mourning was declared in order to share the grief of the relatives of our brothers who lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya.
“On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, our flags will be flown at half-staff until sunset in our country and in our foreign missions. In any case, those who caused such a disaster to occur, those who were negligent and at fault will be held accountable before the law.
“Today is not a day for politics; it is a day for solidarity, for being one and together. I would like to express that we expect all actors, including politics, media and local administrators, to respect the suffering of our citizens.
“Once again, I pray to God to have mercy on our deceased citizens and grant patience to their families; I convey my condolences and get well wishes to our nation. May God protect our country and our nation from such painful events.”
Bolu Kartalkaya’da bir otelde çıkan yangında vefat eden kardeşlerimizin yakınlarının acısını paylaşmak amacıyla 1 günlük millî yas ilan edilmiştir.…
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) January 21, 2025
Fire crews could only tackle blaze from the front and sides
Tuesday 21 January 2025 19:00 , Holly EvansInterior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said there were 238 guests at the hotel situated at the base of several ski slopes and which smouldered until the afternoon.
“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” he said at the resort in offering condolences and announcing that the fire was extinguished.
“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, adding crews began battling the mountaintop blaze about 45 minutes after the first call.
Survivor recalls frantic escape from deadly Turkey ski resort hotel
Tuesday 21 January 2025 18:30 , Holly EvansWatch: Huge flames engulf popular Turkey ski resort hotel
Tuesday 21 January 2025 18:00 , Holly Evans
Huge flames engulf popular ski resort hotel in Turkey as deadly fire kills 10
Guests trapped in hotel ‘screaming for help'
Tuesday 21 January 2025 17:30 , Holly EvansBarış Salgür, an employee at a neighboring hotel, told Turkish media that he was resting in his room when he heard cries for help coming from the windows of the burning hotel.
“We were in a state of panic,” Salgür told state-run Anadolu Agency.
“We could see smoke billowing from the upper sections of the building. We hurriedly gathered ropes, pillows and quilts. People were screaming for help as we waited for the fire brigade. It took about two hours. By the time the fire trucks arrived, the upper floors were fully engulfed.
Hotel is one of the most recognisable buildings at ski resort
Tuesday 21 January 2025 17:00 , Holly EvansThe Grand Kartal Hotel, the location of the fire, is recognised as of the most iconic and historically significant establishments in the tourist hub of Kartalkaya which is popular for its skiing.
Originally conceived as a successor to the Kartal Hotel, which was founded in 1978, the Grand Kartal Hotel opened to the public in 1998.
Boasting 161 rooms and a capacity of 350 beds, the hotel underwent renovations in 2015. The cost of a three-night stay at the establishment reportedly ranges from 99,000 to 148,500 Turkish Liras.
The hotel was last inspected in 2024, and the tourism minister said there had been no concerns regarding the hotel’s fire safety prior to the disaster.
Ursula von der Leyen pays tribute to victims
Tuesday 21 January 2025 16:25 , Holly EvansUrsula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission, has paid tribute to the victims of the fire and praised the “incredible courage” of firefighters.
In a post on X, she wrote: “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families as a devastating fire engulfs the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu.
“We honor the incredible courage of the first responders battling the flames.
“Europe stands united with Türkiye and its people in this tragedy, dear @RTErdogan.”
Our hearts go out to the victims and their families as a devastating fire engulfs the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 21, 2025
We honor the incredible courage of the first responders battling the flames.
Europe stands united with Türkiye and its people in this tragedy, dear @RTErdogan.
Father heard yelling ‘I will throw my child or he will burn'
Tuesday 21 January 2025 15:58 , Holly EvansSeveral fire engines and ambulances later surrounded the charred, wood-fronted building, with white bed sheets tied together and dangling from at least three upper-floor windows where people tried to flee.
“People all started to jump with panic. One friend jumped from the 11th floor - may God have mercy on him,” said Omer Sakrak, another witness and employee of a neighbouring hotel.
“They tried to climb down using bedsheets. The bedsheets ripped as one friend tried ... and he unfortunately fell on his head,” he told Reuters. “One father was yelling about his one year-old child: ‘I will throw my child or he will burn’.”
Hotel guests told TV broadcasters they fled through smoke-filled corridors and heard no alarms.
Read the full story: At least 66 dead in Turkish ski hotel horror fire that saw guests jump from window
Tuesday 21 January 2025 15:35 , Holly EvansA fire at a hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday killed at least 66 people, Turkey‘s Interior Minister said.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster.
“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.
Read the full article here:
At least 66 dead in Turkish ski hotel horror fire that saw guests jump from window
Gas explosion hits second Turkish resort with four injured
Tuesday 21 January 2025 15:08 , Holly EvansMeanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel at another ski resort in central Turkey has injured four people.
The explosion took place at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Centre in Sivas province.
Two skiers and their instructor were slightly injured while another instructor received second-degree burns on the hands and face, the Sivas governor’s office said.
Four people arrested over hotel blaze
Tuesday 21 January 2025 14:51 , Holly EvansDespite the blaze being reported at 3:27, the fire department began to respond at 4:15 am, with the delay due to the distance from Bolu to the hotel, and the freezing weather conditions.
It eventually took 12 hours for the fire to be put out. Four people have been arrested, including the owner, the justice minister said.
In pictures: Destruction wrought by fire at skiing resort
Tuesday 21 January 2025 14:27 , Holly Evans
Hotel located on side of a cliff ‘hampering’ efforts to stop fire
Tuesday 21 January 2025 14:09 , Holly EvansNTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire.
Part of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, hampering efforts to combat the flames.
“Because the rear side is on a slope, intervention could only be made from the front and sides,” Mr Yerlikaya confirmed.
Tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told reporters that the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024 and that “no negative situation regarding fire competence” was reported by the fire department.
Pictures reveal devastation at skiing hotel as blaze kills dozens
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:50 , Holly EvansTurkish media showed a smoke-blackened lobby, its glass entrance and windows smashed, its wooden reception desk charred and a chandelier crashed to the ground.
Governor Abdulaziz Aydin’s office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site.
Other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu.
Hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate, reports suggest
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:37 , Holly EvansWitnesses and reports suggested that the hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate.
“My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off,” Atakan Yelkovan, a guest staying on the third floor, told the IHA news agency.
“We tried to go upstairs but couldn’t, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here (outside),” he said.
Yelkovan said it took about an hour for the firefighting teams to arrive.
“People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... Some tried to jump,” he said.
Fire broke out during school holiday season
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:20 , Tom BarnesThe blaze in Kartalkaya coincided with school holidays in Turkey.
Many families from nearby Istanbul and Ankara head to the Bolu mountains to ski during this time.
Watch: Video from scene after fire broke out at ski resort hotel
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:16 , Tom Barnes238 guests staying at hotel, interior minister says
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:12 , Tom BarnesAli Yerlikaya, Turkey’s interior minister, said there were 238 guests at the hotel lying at the base of several ski slopes.
“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” he said in offering condolences.
“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.”
Those responsible for blaze will be held to account, Erdogan says
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:09 , Tom BarnesIn an address in Ankara, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: “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.”
“All necessary steps will be taken to shed light on all aspects of the incident and to hold those responsible accountable,” he added.
Witness says smoke made escape difficult
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:07 , Tom BarnesNecmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building.
He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel.
He said the hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to find the fire escape.
“I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” the ski instructor told the station.
Dozens killed after blaze at ski resort hotel
Tuesday 21 January 2025 13:00 , Tom BarnesA fire at a popular ski resort hotel in Turkey has killed at least 66 people, Turkey‘s interior minister said.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster.
“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Mr Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.
Health minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in a serious condition.
The fire broke out at around 3.30am in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, officials and reports said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Some victims died after jumping from window, governor says
Tuesday 21 January 2025 12:58 , Tom BarnesTwo of the victims died after jumping from the building in a panic, Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Private NTV television said some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.
There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said.
At least 66 dead in Turkish ski hotel horror fire that saw guests jump from window
