Sixty-six people died at the hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the northwestern province of Bolu.
The fire at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel, which is located in the well-known winter tourism destination of Kartalkaya, about 300 km west of Istanbul and 180 from Ankara, broke out at 3:27 am. At that time most of the hotel’s customers were in their rooms and the flames found them sleeping, which is estimated to have increased the number of victims.
The causes of the fire are not yet known. It is possible that it is due to a gas leak or a short circuit. The first estimates indicate that the fire started from the hotel’s restaurant area.
More than 50 injured
Of the 51 injured, one is hospitalized in critical condition in an intensive care unit, while 17 have been discharged. At the time of the fire, there were 234 guests in the hotel, according to the prefect of Bolou, Abdulaziz Aydin. Earlier, the information spoke of ten dead and 32 injured.
In the images shown, it appears that the fire quickly engulfed the hotel and completely destroyed it. The fact that the building had wooden cladding on its walls contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Authorities have warned of the risk of the building collapsing.
It did not have a fire extinguishing system
According to complaints, the hotel did not have a water-based fire extinguishing system that activates automatically in the event of a fire and the alarm did not sound. The initial information that it did not even have external escape stairs in case of fire was denied by the Minister of Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who cited a relevant certificate from the Fire Service.
It is also complained that there is no fire station in Kartalkaya, which is one of the most important ski resorts, relatively close to Istanbul and Ankara. The nearest Fire Service station is one hour and 15 minutes away.
Watch video of the deadly fire:
The hotel fire in Bolu caused fearful moments. The magnitude of the fire was heartbreaking. Get well soon to all the people of Bolu.
— rain (@yagmurr_klcc)
The number of deaths increased to 10 and the number of injured increased to 32 in the fire that broke out at 03.30 at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Resort.
There were 237 people in the hotel, which was 90 percent full due to the semester break. Get well soon— Ege (@ecoeco92)
