Kartalkaya: A devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey’s Bolu mountains claimed the lives of 66 people on Tuesday. The blaze, which broke out in the early hours, forced panicked guests to leap from windows to escape the inferno.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that 51 others sustained injuries during the incident at the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwest Turkey. Authorities reported that the fire began at approximately 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) on the restaurant floor of the 12-story hotel.
Emergency services, including fire engines and ambulances, rushed to the scene, surrounding the blackened, wood-fronted building. Witnesses described scenes of desperation, with makeshift ropes made of white bed sheets hanging from an upper-floor window where guests attempted to flee.
Baris Salgur, a guest at the hotel, recounted the harrowing experience to broadcaster NTV. “People jumped from windows to escape, including two women on the top floor who urged those on the ground to prepare pillows. When the fire got close, they jumped right away,” Salgur said.
Another guest told Ekol TV that he and his family awoke to the fire but did not hear alarms. Navigating smoke-filled corridors, they eventually escaped by jumping from a lower-floor window onto the snow below.
According to Yerlikaya, the hotel accommodated 238 guests at the time of the fire, as it was the school holiday season—a peak period when families from Istanbul and Ankara flock to the Bolu mountains for skiing. The fire left the hotel smoldering well into the afternoon.
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“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” Yerlikaya said in his condolences. “The fire has now been extinguished. Cooling efforts are ongoing. Since the back of the hotel is on a slope, fire extinguishing efforts could only be carried out from the front and side facades.”
Yerlikaya also revealed that firefighting crews began tackling the blaze approximately 45 minutes after receiving the first call. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.
