Tragic Ski Resort Fire in Turkey Claims 10 Lives Amid Holiday Season

A devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey's Bolu's Kartalkaya ski resort resulted in 10 deaths and 32 injuries. The incident occurred overnight on the hotel’s restaurant floor, causing extensive damage. Investigations are underway as the tragedy unfolds at the start of a key holiday season.

A devastating fire at a ski resort hotel in northwestern Turkey claimed the lives of at least 10 people and injured 32 others, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The flames, which swallowed the 11-storey building, prompted a swift response from local crews seen battling the inferno in TV footage.

The blaze erupted at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on the restaurant floor of the Grand Kartal Hotel, located in Bolu's Kartalkaya ski resort, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin reported to state broadcaster TRT. The hotel was housing 234 guests, and the fire caused dangerous conditions around its broad wooden exterior.

The incident casts a shadow over the start of a nationwide two-week school holiday, a period when numerous skiers from Istanbul and Ankara travel to the Bolu mountains. The Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that over 250 first responders were deployed to manage the aftermath, while investigations continue into the cause of the fire.

(With inputs from agencies.)