Fire at a ski resort hotel in Turkey kills 10 and injures 32

BOLU, TURKEY: A deadly fire at a ski resort hotel in northwestern Turkey has claimed the lives of at least 10 people and injured 32 others, authorities reported on Tuesday. The blaze broke out overnight at the Grand Kartal Hotel, located in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu, around 3:30 AM local time.

According to Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin, the fire began on the restaurant floor of the 11-storey hotel, which had 234 guests at the time of the incident. The hotel, known for its broad wooden exterior, was quickly engulfed by flames, with television footage showing thick smoke and flames rising from the building as firefighting crews worked to contain the fire.

The fire comes at the start of a two-week nationwide school holiday, a period when many skiers from nearby cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, travel to the Bolu mountains. TV footage showed fire engines surrounding the charred hotel, with several white bed sheets tied together and hanging from an upper-floor window, likely used by guests trying to escape the inferno.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya updated the death toll on social media, confirming that 10 people had died and 32 others were injured. More than 250 first responders, including firefighters and emergency medical personnel, were dispatched to the scene to assist.