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Türkiye. Fire in the Kartalkaya ski resort. 76 people died. Dramatic relationships

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The media publish dramatic accounts of people who survived the tragic fire in a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey. Witnesses claim that no fire alarm was activated in the building, reports Reuters, writing about the growing criticism of the local authorities. 76 people died as a result of the fire.

The hotel where the fire broke out expressed deep regret in a statement issued on Wednesday and declared full cooperation in the investigation. “We are working with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident,” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts,” it added.

Authorities are facing growing criticism of the hotel's security measures after survivors reported that no fire alarms went off during the blaze, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Hotel guests also claim that they had to navigate smoky corridors in complete darkness.

SEE ALSO: The death toll has increased. “Wind threatens to spread fires to a new scale”

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“Help, we're burning”

Tuesday morning at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu province in the northwest Turkey a fire broke out. The death toll increased to 76. 30 fire brigade vehicles were sent to fight the fire, and 28 ambulances also arrived at the scene. Local residents and people staying in nearby guesthouses also came to help, Daily Sabah reported. Additionally, nearby hotels were evacuated.

Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin indicated in an interview with the Turkish news agency Anadolu that some of the fatalities were people who died after jumping from the burning building in panic. Turkish television NTV reported that some guests tried to escape from the fire-engulfed 11-story hotel by jumping down on tied sheets. They can be seen in the photos of the destroyed building.

Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort after the fire, January 21, 2025.PAP/EPA/PAGE

The website of the “Hürriyet” newspaper writes on Wednesday about photos showing “many people throwing themselves out of windows in fear of their lives.” “How will we get out?”, “I can't get out”, “Help, we're on fire” – can be heard in the recordings described by the Turkish portal.

Witnesses about the “apocalypse”

Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, told NTV that he was sleeping when the fire broke out. – We were woken up by noise between 03:00 and 03:15. When I came out, I saw flames on the fourth floor, on the second floor of the restaurant. Then they started taking over the hotel. My crew and I took out 15-20 people. Since we knew the hotel very well, we were able to get out quickly. There was a lot of smoke. People were jumping out of the windows, said a man quoted by “Hürriyet”. He emphasized that there were fire escapes in the building, “but finding them in this smoke required skill.”

Mevlut Ozer, who works at a nearby hotel, said the harrowing experience was like an “apocalypse.” Omer Sakrak from a local center said he went outside when he heard screams. He then saw that one hotel guest had jumped from the 11th floor and another had fallen when he tried to evacuate using sheets.

Ali Atmaca, who stayed in one of the hotels in the region, reported that he was going downstairs when he heard a cry for help: – People were dying in front of our eyes – he says. – Then the fire brigade arrived, but the height of the hotel made the work difficult.

Hotel fire in the Kartalkaya ski resortReuters

Hotel fire in the Kartalkaya ski resortReuters

Hotel fire in the Kartalkaya ski resortReuters

Hotel fire in the Kartalkaya ski resortReuters

People near the hotel in Kartalkaya ski resortPAP/EPA/PAGE

Hotel fire in Turkey

An investigation has been initiated into the fire nine people were detainedincluding the owner of the facility. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that those responsible for the tragedy would be punished. “All necessary steps are being taken to shed light on all aspects of this incident and hold those responsible accountable,” he said. He also announced that there would be national mourning in the country on Wednesday.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. It is understood that it broke out in the restaurant and then quickly spread to other parts of the hotel. NTV indicates that the wooden cladding on the hotel's exterior may have accelerated the spread of the fire. Footage shown on Turkish television shows the upper floors and roof of the building on fire

Fire in a hotel in TurkeyMehmet Emin Gurbuz/Anadolu via Getty Images

Local authorities said that 234 guests were staying at the hotel, located in the Koroglu Mountains, about 300 km east of Istanbul, at the time of the fire. ABC News points out that Turkish schools are currently on holiday, so the centers are overcrowded. Kartalkaya Resort is one of the main winter destinations in Turkey.

Condolences are being sent to Turkey from abroad in connection with the fire, including: from the European Union, Greece, Russia, Azerbaijan. Also Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sincerest condolences to the families and relatives of the fire victims.

SEE ALSO: Mass alcohol poisoning in Istanbul. 19 victims in a few days

Reuters, Hürriyet, tvn24.pl

Main photo source: Reuters



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