Kartalkaya, 21 January 2025: A massive fire broke out early Tuesday at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, a popular ski resort in Turkey’s Bolu province, killing 66 people and injuring 51 during the winter school holiday season.
Officials reported that at least two victims died after jumping from the 12-story building to escape the blaze.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, speaking at the scene in the Koroglu Mountains, approximately 300 kilometers east of Istanbul, confirmed the toll. “We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya stated. The hotel had 238 registered guests and was at capacity due to the two-week school holiday.
Witnesses described panic as flames and smoke spread through the upper floors. Atakan Yelkovan, a third-floor guest, recalled the chaos, telling the IHA news agency, “People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung sheets from windows. Some tried to jump.”
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said one injured guest remained in critical condition, while 17 others were treated and discharged.
The fire reportedly started around 3:27 a.m. in the hotel’s restaurant section, Yerlikaya said. The fire department arrived by 4:15 a.m. Television images showed the roof and upper floors engulfed in flames, hampering efforts to locate fire exits.
Ski instructor Necmi Kepcetutan recounted helping about 20 guests escape. “I was asleep when the fire erupted. The smoke made it difficult to see the fire escape,” Kepcetutan told NTV. “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK.”
Concerns over the hotel’s safety measures surfaced, with reports suggesting the fire detection system failed to operate. “My wife smelled burning, but the alarm didn’t go off,” Yelkovan said. “We tried going upstairs, but the flames blocked us. We managed to get outside eventually.”
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that four individuals, including the hotel’s owner, were detained as six prosecutors were appointed to investigate the incident. Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin earlier confirmed two of the deaths resulted from panic-driven jumps.
The tragedy struck at a time when the region’s ski resorts are typically crowded with vacationers. Local officials vowed a thorough investigation into the fire’s cause and the hotel’s safety protocols.
