Turkey has detained nine people after a fire at a ski resort hotel in Kartalkaya on Tuesday. The arrests included the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.
The deadly fire in the Koroglu mountains of Bolu province, about 300km east of Istanbul, killed 76 people and left dozens injured.
The bodies of 45 people have been handed over to their families, while DNA tests are being conducted to identify the remaining bodies, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
“Forty-five bodies were delivered to their families. We could not [immediately] identify the others,” he said, adding that emergency response teams would conduct a final search for victims. The fire was reported at about 3am and the fire department responded an hour later, he said.
“Our hearts are broken. We are in mourning," Mr Yerlikaya said. ”But you should know that whoever is responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice."
The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the blaze. The hotel, which had 238 guests at the time of the incident, pledged to assist the effort.
"We are co-operating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident," it said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Wednesday to be a day of national mourning. All flags at government buildings and Turkish diplomatic missions abroad would be lowered to half-mast, he said.
The incident occurred during the peak of the winter tourism season, with many families from Istanbul and Ankara travelling to the region for skiing.
Authorities are facing growing criticism over the hotel’s safety measures, as survivors reported that no fire alarms went off during the incident. Guests said they had to make their way through smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.
Survivors described scenes of panic as they fled and some jumped from windows to escape. Atakan Yelkovan, a hotel guest staying on the third floor, told the IHA news agency there was chaos on the upper floors as guests tried to escape using sheets and blankets.
“People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... some tried to jump,” he said.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the people injured was in a serious condition. Seventeen were treated and discharged.
At least two of the victims died when they jumped from the building in panic, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Those killed included Nedim Turkmen, a columnist for Sozcu newspaper, his wife and two children, the newspaper reported.
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire started and he rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he helped guests escape to safety.
The hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to find the fire escapes, he said. “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” he told the station.
Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire. Witnesses and reports suggested that the hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate.
“My wife smelt the burning. The alarm did not go off,” said Mr Yelkovan. “We tried to go upstairs but couldn’t, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here [outside]."
Part of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, hampering efforts to tackle the flames. “Because the rear side is on a slope, intervention could only be made from the front and sides,” he added.
Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024and that “no negative situation regarding fire competence” was reported by the fire department.
Earlier, in an address in Ankara, Mr Erdogan said: “Unfortunately, we received very sad news this morning from Bolu, Kartalkaya. Our brothers and sisters were killed and injured in a fire that broke out in a hotel. All necessary steps will be taken to shed light on all aspects of the incident and to hold those responsible accountable."
Other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu.
