Turkiye: Blaze at Ski resort kills at least 66 people, injures 51

At least 66 people were killed and 51 others were injured in a massive fire that broke out at a hotel in northern Turkey on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing local authorities.

According to AA, the fire broke out at around 00:27 GMT in the restaurant area of the hotel, which quickly engulfed the building, as per Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin.

AA reported that emergency teams from neighboring cities, including firefighters, disaster response units, and medical teams supported by helicopters, were dispatched to the scene.

Authorities evacuated around 230 guests from the hotel as firefighting efforts continued. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation was initiated by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with six public prosecutors assigned and a five-person expert committee formed, AA noted.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been monitoring the incident closely via relevant institutions since the moment the fire started. “I wish Allah’s mercy to our citizens who lost their lives … and wish a speedy recovery to our wounded,” he said in a post on X.

As per AA, Kartalkaya in the province of Bolu is one of Turkey’s leading winter tourism destinations that attracts thousands of visitors during the ski season. The resort is located around 295 kilometers east of Istanbul.

The resort is a popular destination for holidaymakers during the winter, particularly during school holidays, which begin in January and end in the first week of February, the report said.

Governor Abdulaziz Aydin stated that there were around 234 guests staying at the hotel, CNN reported, citing Anadolu Agency. Aydin mentioned that two of the victims died after jumping out of the building “in panic.”

Several videos, some posted on social media platforms and others broadcast by Turkish TV channels, showed flames coming out of the top floors of the hotel. In the video, some people tried to use tied bed sheets to escape the blaze.