22 Jan Fire at Türkiye resort kills 10 and injures 32

A fire broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a 12-story building located in the popular ski resort town of Kartalkaya in northwestern Türkiye which claimed the lives of ten people and injured another 32.

The fire started in the hotel’s restaurant around 3:27 am local time. Reports indicate that some guests panicked and jumped from the building, while others tried to escape by tying bedsheets and blankets together to climb down.

Eyewitnesses saw thick smoke and flames engulfing the roof and upper floors of the hotel, with the stunning snow-covered mountains as a backdrop.

The ski resort was engulfed in flames (NBC)

At the time of the fire, there were more than 230 guests in the hotel, which was nearly full due to the school holiday season. The hotel’s wooden exterior may have helped the fire spread more quickly, according to some local news sources.

Emergency services responded swiftly, sending 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances to the scene. However, firefighting efforts were challenging because the hotel is situated next to a cliff. Out of caution, guests from nearby hotels were also evacuated and found temporary places to stay.

Kartalkaya is a beautiful ski resort town approximately 185 miles east of Istanbul and around 100 miles northwest of Ankara. In response to the incident, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has assigned a team of six prosecutors to investigate what happened.

While it is still unclear how the fire started, important officials from various government departments, including health and interior, have promised to visit the site to look into the situation further.