Turkey resort fire: Death toll climbs to 76, guests forced to jump from windows
PTC News Desk: The death toll in Turkey ski resort rose to 76 while more than 50 people have been injuredon Tuesday as confirmed by officials. The incident took place when a devastating fire ravaged through through a ski resort hotel in Turkey’s Bolu province.
Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya while expressing his grief said, "Our hearts are broken. We are in mourning. The fire claimed the lives of 76 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.
At least 51 people also were injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometres east of Istanbul, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The fire occurred near the start of a two-week winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed.
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.
- PTC NEWS
