Key points
- Cause not clear
- Ski resort is in northwestern Turkey
- Three die after jumping from windows
ISTANBUL: A fire engulfed a hotel at the popular Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday, killing 10 people and injuring 32 others, the interior minister said.
The blaze at the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel, which has wooden cladding, started at 3:27 am (0027 GMT), Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
Private NTV broadcaster said three people died after jumping from the hotel’s windows.
Bugün saat 03:27’de Kartalkaya Kayak Merkezinde bulunan bir otelde yangın çıktığı ihbarı alınmış, yangına çeşitli kamu kurum ve kuruluşlarından 267 personelle müdahale edilmiş ve müdahaleye devam edilmektedir.
İlk belirlemelere göre maalesef 6 vatandaşımız hayatını kaybetmiş,…
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) January 21, 2025
The resort is located on top of a mountain range about 170 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of the capital Ankara.
The fire, which is believed to have started in the restaurant at around midnight, spread quickly. It was not immediately clear what caused it.
Plumes of smoke
Television footage showed huge plumes of smoke rising into the sky with a snowcapped mountain behind the hotel.
Part of it backs onto a cliff, making it harder for firefighters to tackle the blaze.
Local media said 237 people were staying at the hotel, where the occupancy rate was between 80 and 90 percent due to the school holidays.
Those evacuated were rehoused in nearby hotels.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said six prosecutors had been allocated to investigate the blaze.
The health, interior and culture ministers are expected to visit the site later in the day.
