A firefighter battles a wildfire. A deadly fire has claimed at least 10 lives and left 32 others injured after it engulfed the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel at the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Centre in Turkey.
Credit: Shutterstock, Toa55
At least 66 people have died, and 51 more have been left fighting for their lives after a devastating fire ripped through a 12-storey hotel in a Turkish ski resort in the dead of night, around 3.30 AM local time.
According to sources at the scene, some of the guests jumped from windows in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. It is believed that the fact that most staff and guests were sleeping contributed to the fire’s rapid spread. By the time people realised what was happening it was too late.
As flames tore through the building, several guests made the heart-wrenching decision to jump from windows. Sadly, two of them did not survive the fall. According to eyewitnesses and local sources ‘they had no choice, as they were trying to escape the flames that were overwhelming the building.’
A race against time at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski resort in Turkey
Around 230 guests were forced to evacuate as firefighters battled the flames, aided by helicopters deployed to the scene. Emergency crews fought heroically, but the hotel, with its wooden cladding and chalet-style exterior, made it incredibly difficult to combat the flames’ rapid spread.
Inside, the situation was chaotic. Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, was asleep when the fire broke out. He rushed to escape, and helped around 20 other guests make their way to safety. He spoke of the ordeal in an interview with NTV television: “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK.”
The rescue effort was complicated further by the hotel’s difficult position, partly backed by a cliff. This limited access for emergency services, as they battled the raging blaze. It took longer than it would normally have to contain the blaze.
Some are asking whether different building regulations and emergency procedures could have potentially prevented such a devastating delay in the rescue efforts at Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Centre?
Climbing death toll of hotel fire in Turkish ski resort reaches 66
As the flames were finally brought under control, the grim reality set in. Authorities confirmed the deaths of 66 people, with 51 others injured. The victims’ identities are yet to be confirmed, but it’s feared some were guests who could not escape in time.
The main question being asked is; what allowed this fire to spread so quickly without setting off any alarms?
Criminal investigation underway:
Turkish authorities are not leaving any stone unturned. Six prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the cause of the fire, with the Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc promising a thorough probe. Local media have raised concerns over the hotel’s wooden cladding, which may have hastened the fire’s spread.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, officials have confirmed that it originated on the restaurant floor. The interior and exterior ministers are expected to visit the site later today as the full scale of the disaster continues to unfold.
Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrifying tragedy.
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