Turkey fire incident: Massive fire at ski resort hotel in Bolu leaves 66 dead, over 50 injured

PTC Web Desk: A devastating fire tore through a ski resort hotel in Turkey’s Bolu province on Tuesday, resulting in 66 deaths and 51 injuries. The blaze at the Kartalkaya resort broke out early in the morning, forcing terrified guests to jump from windows to escape the intense flames and thick smoke.

Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya expressed his condolences, stating, “We are deeply saddened. The fire claimed the lives of 66 persons.” The incident occurred during the peak of the school holiday season, a time when the resort attracts numerous visitors from Istanbul and Ankara for winter sports.

Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes as flames consumed the upper floors of the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, which was built against a rocky cliff, making firefighting efforts challenging. Guests resorted to tying bed sheets together to climb down from windows, while others leapt in desperation.

“The screams were horrifying. People were jumping from windows, and there were no fire extinguishers in sight,” one witness told CNN Turk. Another criticised the delayed arrival of emergency services, adding, “We couldn’t get water to those trapped, and no one knew what to do.”

According to Governor Abdulaziz Aydin, around 234 guests were staying at the hotel when the fire started. Two persons died after jumping from the building in a state of panic. Aydin confirmed that 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched, with 267 emergency personnel working tirelessly to control the blaze and assist survivors.

The authorities evacuated nearby hotels as a precaution, relocating guests to other accommodations in Bolu. Social media and Turkish news outlets shared distressing footage showing flames engulfing the upper levels of the hotel and gray smoke billowing into the sky.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.