At Least 66 Killed as Major Fire Engulfs Ski Resort Hotel in Bolu

The blaze originated in the restaurant section of the hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort and rapidly engulfed the 12-story building due to the wooden cladding on its exterior. The cause of the blaze currently remains undetermined.

The incident occurred at approximately around 3:30 a.m., a time when guests are asleep, exacerbating the situation. Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Köroğlu mountains, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire took place during the school semester break when hotels in the region are packed.

There had been 234 guests staying at the hotel, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydın said.

Footage captured on mobile phones revealed harrowing scenes of guests tying bedsheets together and lowering themselves from windows while screaming for help.

Two of the victims died after jumping out of the building in a panic, according to the governor.

Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising into the sky with a snowcapped mountain behind the hotel.

Hours after the fire began, firefighting teams were still battling the flames on the upper floors, while simultaneously striving to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby wooded areas.

Efforts to extinguish the fire were challenged by several factors, including the hotel’s location near a cliff edge and the icy conditions on access roads, which complicated the arrival of emergency services.

Firefighting works were concentrated solely on the front facade, as the rear side of the property serves as an access point to the ski slopes and lacks any vehicular entry.

A field hospital was established near the area.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received information on the incident in a series of phone talks with several ministers, the governor and the head of the rescue agency.

In a social media message, Erdoğan also expressed his condolences for the victims.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan and Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu departed from the capital Ankara to Kartalkaya upon receiving news of the fire.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced initiation of a probe, appointing six prosecutors and assembling a team of five experts to examine the incident. They are expected to investigate the exact reason for the incident and any possible negligence by the hotel administration.

Rescue teams also started to conduct thorough inspections of all rooms to ascertain the final death and injury toll, with fears persisting the casualty count could rise.

“I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are okay,” said Necmi Kepçetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel.

A reporter showing the charred entrance of the hotel during a live broadcast was warned by to leave the area immediately, citing the imminent risk of the building collapsing at any moment.

On the same day, a gas explosion at a ski resort in the eastern province of Sivas injured four people, one critically, in an accommodation area for athletes.

Source: HDN