Turkey Mourns Victims of Deadly Hotel Fire in Alya's Skiresort Tragedy
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World
January 23, 2025 12:49
ankara - Turkish authorities have identified all victims of the fatal hotel fire in Kartalkaya ski resort, with 78 confirmed deaths.
Tragedy Strikes Kartalkaya ski resort
The Turkish authorities have identified all victims of the fatal hotel fire in the ski resort of Kartalkaya, where 78 people lost their lives. The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning at the Grand Kartal Hotel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared emotional at the funerals of several members of the same family. Eleven individuals, including the hotel owner and a fire department manager, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Among the deceased were multiple minors, including Alya (14), Özüm (17), Nehir (15), and Doruk (13), as reported by the Turkish news agency Andolu.
The fire has sparked outrage and accusations of negligence in Turkey. Survivors claimed that the fire alarm did not function during the nocturnal blaze. Reports from the BBC indicated that it took an hour for the fire brigade to reach the remote hotel. The rapid spread of the fire was attributed to the hotel's wooden structure. Situated partly on a mountainside, firefighters could only combat the blaze from the front and side. Distressing footage showed guests trying to escape by climbing out of windows using bedsheets.
Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, stated that the hotel was compliant with fire regulations. Kartalkaya, located approximately five hours from Istanbul, is a snow-sure ski destination. The Bolu Mountains are a favored spot for skiers from Istanbul and Ankara, resulting in high occupancy during the onset of the two-week school holiday.