ISTANBUL: At least 66 people were killed and dozens of others injured on Tuesday when a fire broke out at a popular ski resort in northwest Turkey amid holiday rush.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Tuesday said the fire at a ski resort hotel in Turkey’s Bolu mountains forced panicked guests to jump out of windows in the middle of the night. He confirmed that 66 people were killed while 52 others were injured.
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 situated on top of a mountain range about 170 kilometres northwest of the capital Ankara.
The fire, which reportedly began in the restaurant around midnight, spread rapidly. The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined. Television footage captured massive plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, with a snow-capped mountain serving as a backdrop to the hotel.
The hotel’s location, with part of it perched against a cliff, posed significant challenges for firefighters in their efforts to contain the flames.
According to local media, 237 people were staying at the hotel, where the occupancy rate was between 80 and 90 percent because of the school holidays.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said six prosecutors had been allocated to investigate the incident.
Erdogan expresses condolences
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the fire and wished speedy recovery to the injured. He vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
“We have been closely monitoring the situation through our relevant institutions from the very beginning. Investigations were immediately launched,” he wrote on the X platform. “Those responsible will certainly be held accountable,” Erdogan said in a televised speech later Tuesday in Ankara.
Bolu Kartalkaya’da bulunan bir otelde meydana gelen yangında hayatını kaybeden vatandaşlarımıza Allah’tan rahmet niyaz ediyor, yaralılarımıza acil şifalar diliyorum.
Bizim de ilk andan beri ilgili kurumlarımız vasıtasıyla yakından takip ettiğimiz ve soruşturmaların derhâl…
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) January 21, 2025
Pakistan PM expresses sorrow
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in a deadly fire incident in a hotel in Turkey.
“Deeply saddened to learn of the fire in a hotel in Kartalkaya ski resort in Northern Turkiye,” the prime minister said in a post on social media platform X.
Deeply saddened to learn of the fire in a hotel in Kartalkaya ski resort in northern Turkiye. I extend my heartfelt condolences to my dear brother President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish nation, especially, the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this accident &…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 21, 2025
He extended his heartfelt condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish nation, especially, the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this accident. He also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the incident.
