A devastating fire tore through the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel at Kartalkaya Ski Resortย early Tuesday, killing at least 66 people and injuring 51, authorities said. The blaze transformed the popular ski resort situated in the Kรถroฤlu Mountains of Turkey’s Bolu Province into a site of tragedy during Turkeyโs winter holiday season when families flock to such destinations.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. According to the New York Times, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that six prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the incident, and four individuals, including the hotel owner, were detained. The fire erupted before dawn on Tuesday, sending thick smoke and flames billowing through the building, located about 180 miles east of Istanbul. At the time, approximately 230 guests were staying at the hotel, along with staff. Survivors recounted harrowing escapes, with some alleging that no fire alarms were sounded.
Eylem Senturk, who was staying at the hotel with her family, told the Anadolu news agency that she woke to shouts in the hallway and opened her door to find smoke. She said her husband was forced to leap from a window to escape after the smoke became overwhelming. โIf there had been a fire alarm, we could have been faster,โ Senturk said. โThe lack of a fire alarm and fire escape trapped people.โ
Another survivor, Muzaffer Cig, echoed these concerns, saying that guests had no choice but to run down smoke-filled staircases because they couldn’t find any fire escapes, the NYT reports. Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy visited the site of the tragedy, saying the hotel had passed inspections in both 2021 and 2024 and was certified to have fire safety precautions, including two fire escapes. But after the fire, footage aired on Turkish television told a different storyโno external escape routes were visible, raising serious questions about whether safety standards were actually being followed.
Just two years ago, more than 50,000 people lost their lives in catastrophic earthquakes in southern Turkey, with widespread accusations that contractors and inspectors had cut corners on building codes. Even then, public demands for accountability went largely unanswered, and some worry the same could have happened here. As investigations get underway, the once-picturesque ski resort is now a scene of heartbreak. Families who came seeking fun and relaxation in the snow are now demanding answers.
