Turkish authorities reported that the death toll from the fire that broke out yesterday morning in a hotel at a ski resort in Bolu Province, northwestern Turkey, has risen to 76 dead and 51 injured.
The Interior Ministry initially announced 66 deaths before updating the figures. In the wake of this tragedy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a national day of mourning.
The massive fire broke out in an 11-story hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort. According to a statement from the Bolu Governor’s Office, the fire started around 3:30 a.m. (local time) on the fourth floor of the hotel, which houses 161 rooms. The hotel’s location on a steep slope added challenges to extinguishing the blaze. Television footage showed the upper floors and roof of the hotel engulfed in flames, surrounded by firefighting vehicles.
The fire coincided with school holidays in Turkey, a peak season for families traveling from Istanbul and Ankara to the Bolu mountains for winter sports.
Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin stated, “The fire began on the restaurant floor, but the cause remains under investigation. The hotel had 234 guests at the time of the incident.”
Additionally, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced the launch of a judicial investigation led by the Bolu Prosecutor’s Office. A team of six prosecutors and five experts has been appointed to investigate the causes of the fire.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the fire, vowing a thorough inquiry to uncover the details of this tragedy.
