Deadly fire at Turkey ski resort hotel kills 76, injures 51

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23 January, 2025


A fire engulfed a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing 76 people and injuring 51 others, the interior minister said.

Witnesses said desperate guests had tried to escape using ropes, footage showed bedsheets hanging from the windows, and media reports suggests some had died after trying to jump to safety.

Several ministers have arrived at the scene at the Kartalkaya resort around 170 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of the capital Ankara, and officials said the fire had now been contained. "Our pain is great," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at Kartalkaya. "66 citizens lost their lives and 51 others wounded." The blaze broke out at 3:27 am (0027 GMT) in the 12-storey Grand Kartal hotel, which has wooden cladding, he said. Some 238 guests were registered as staying at the hotel, the minister added, a peak time during a two-week school holiday.

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