Dozens killed as fire engulfs Turkish ski hotel

A fire at a popular ski resort hotel in Turkey has killed at least 76 people, with some forced to jump from windows to escape. The blaze occurred at the wooden, 12-story Büyük Kartal Hotel in Bolu at 3:27 am local time (00:27 GMT), during a busy holiday period when 234 people were staying there. The initial death toll was reported as 10, but the Turkish Interior Ministry drastically increased this figure within hours of the fire. At least two people died trying to escape by jumping from windows.

The fire burned for 12 hours before it was extinguished. The Justice Minister stated that nine people, including the hotel's owner, have been arrested. The identities of all 76 victims have not yet been fully confirmed, but the list of those released includes 10-year-old Vedia Nil Apak, a swimmer from Istanbul’s Fenerbahçe sports club, and her mother, Ferda. The club said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that they learned the news with "deep sadness."

A young chef at the hotel, Eslem Üyanık, also perished, as did Ceren Yaman Doğan, the daughter of a well-known local businessman, and her 17-year-old daughter, Lalin. Additionally, writer Nedim Türkmen of the Sözcü newspaper, his wife Ayşe Neva, and their two children, aged 18 and 22, were among the deceased, as was Professor Atakan Yalçın, the dean of the Faculty of Business at Özyeğin University. 24-year-old Dilara Elmanoğlu was also among the victims, and her father was treated by paramedics for a heart attack when he traveled to Bolu to search for her.

Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu stated that of the 51 injured, one person is in intensive care, and 17 have been discharged from the hospital. Videos circulating in Turkey showed people attempting to escape by hanging from bedsheets outside windows. Ski instructor Necmi Keptuetan told the BBC that he was on the second floor of the hotel when the fire broke out and escaped through the ski room, then helped with rescue efforts. Witnesses said the owner of the hotel was also present at the scene, and Keptuetan said he saw some families outside.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydın stated that initial reports indicate the fire started in the restaurant section on the fourth floor of the hotel and spread upwards. Aydın said that the distance of the hotel in Kartalkaya from the city center of Bolu, combined with the cold weather, meant that fire engines took over an hour to reach the scene. Emergency services sent 267 personnel to the site. An investigation is underway to determine if guests, including children, were trapped in their rooms. The Interior Minister stated that the hotel had two fire escapes, and a hotel employee said they had managed to rescue 30-35 people.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç said that prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the fire. The hotel was last inspected in 2024, and the Tourism Minister said that there were no issues with the hotel's fire safety before Tuesday’s disaster. However, the Union of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) said that automatic fire extinguishing systems were required under regulations. “In the photos on the hotel's website, it can be seen that the automatic sprinkler system, which should have been installed in 2008, was not installed,” the union said in a statement. They added that it is not clear whether other regulations were followed, but according to survivors, "it is understood that the detection and warning systems did not work, and the escape routes were not clear."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that those who caused the fire through negligence "will be held accountable." In a statement on X, he added that a national day of mourning has been declared and that the Turkish flag will be flown at half-mast until sunset on Wednesday. The Bolu mountains are popular with skiers from Istanbul and the Turkish capital Ankara, and the hotel was heavily booked at the start of a two-week school holiday. Former British Ambassador to Turkey, Sir Peter Westmacott, told the BBC that he had stayed in the area in the past, and the fire felt "very personal." He said, "It's a shocking piece of news that so many people have lost their lives, for those of us who care about Turkey."