At least 10 dead, 32 injured in a massive fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in northwestern Turkey

At least 10 dead, 32 injured in a massive fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in northwestern Turkey

Ankara, Turkey — A fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel, located at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey, has killed at least 10 people and injured 32 others. The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the restaurant of the 12-story hotel at the Kartalkaya Resort. Local authorities and reports have stated that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Governor Abdulaziz Aydin reported that two of the victims died after jumping from the building in panic. Additionally, some guests attempted to descend from their rooms using blankets and sheets.

Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, mentioned that he was asleep when the fire started, and he immediately rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he later helped around 20 guests evacuate the hotel. He said, "The hotel was filled with smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire escape."

Television footage showed the roof and top floors of the hotel engulfed in flames. The government has appointed six prosecutors to investigate the fire. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the hotel's exterior, which was designed in a chalet style, may have accelerated the spread of the fire.

The hotel is located on the side of a cliff, which hampered efforts to control the fire, the channel also reported.

Kartalkaya Resort is located in the Koroglu Mountains, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the school semester break when hotels in the area are fully booked.

Governor Abdulaziz Aydin’s office stated that 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the scene. Other hotels in the resort were evacuated as a precaution, and guests were relocated to hotels around the city of Bolu.