Turkey ski resort fire kills 76, injures 51; investigation underway

At least 76 people were killed and 51 injured on Tuesday in a fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey, interior minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed. The incident took place in Kartalkaya, Bolu province, during the school semester break when the resort was crowded with visitors.

The fire, which started around 3:30 am in the hotel's restaurant, quickly spread through the 12-story building. Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze. The hotel, hosting 234 guests, was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for many to escape.

Two victims reportedly jumped from the building in panic, while others attempted to climb down using sheets and blankets, said Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin. “People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... some tried to jump,” said Atakan Yelkovan, a guest at the hotel. He also noted the delayed arrival of firefighters, which took about an hour.

Reports suggest the hotel's fire detection system failed to operate, with some guests alerted only by the smell of smoke. "My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off,” Yelkovan told IHA news agency.

Ski instructor Necmi Kepcetutan described the chaotic scene, saying he helped around 20 guests escape. “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” he told NTV television.

The hotel's chalet-style wooden cladding may have accelerated the fire's spread, according to NTV. The cliffside location of the 161-room hotel further complicated firefighting efforts. Television footage showed extensive damage, with the roof and upper floors consumed by flames and the lobby severely charred.

Authorities have assigned six prosecutors to investigate the fire, and other nearby hotels were evacuated as a precaution. Guests were relocated to accommodations across Bolu province.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, a gas explosion at a ski resort in central Turkey’s Sivas province injured four people, including skiers and instructors. The explosion occurred at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center, leaving one instructor with second-degree burns, the Sivas governor’s office confirmed.

Kartalkaya, located in the Koroglu mountains about 300 kilometres east of Istanbul, is a popular winter destination, making the tragedy even more devastating during the peak holiday season.