ANKARA: Turkey’s interior minister said in a statement that 66 people have died in a fire at a hotel at a popular ski resort in northwest Turkey. According to Ali Yerlikaya, 51 other people were injured in this accident.
“We are in deep sorrow,” he told reporters after visiting the crash site. Unfortunately, we have lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out in this hotel. Health Minister Kemal Mamisoglu said the condition of one injured person was serious. According to officials and journalists, the fire broke out at 3.30 am in the restaurant of the 12-storey Grand Cartel Hotel in Bolu province.
According to Governor Abdulaziz Edin, two victims died after jumping from the building in panic. According to the media, some people were trying to get down with the help of blankets.
A total of 234 guests stayed in this hotel. According to a hotel instructor, the fire broke out while they were sleeping and they managed to escape from the building. Then he rescued 20 guests from the hotel.
According to eyewitnesses, the hotel’s fire detection system was not operational. According to Atakan Yelkovan, who stayed on the third floor of the hotel, a strong smell was coming from his wife. However, the alarm system was not activated.
