Blaze at Turkish ski resort claims 10 lives, injures 32
A devastating fire occurred at the Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Turkey, resulting in 10 fatalities and 32 serious injuries.
The fire broke out early Tuesday morning, January 21, at the restaurant of the Bolu Kartalkaya Ski Center hotel in the Koroglu Mountains, about 185 miles east of Istanbul.
Tragedy at the hotel
Turkey's Minister of Internal Affairs, Ali Yerlikaya, reported that 10 people died in the fire. According to the Associated Press, two of the victims perished after jumping from the burning building. Additionally, 32 people were seriously injured.
Local media reports indicate that people fled the hotel in a panic through windows. Witnesses observed some guests attempting to escape the eight-story hotel engulfed in flames by climbing down using ropes made from tied bedsheets.
The cause of the fire is unknown
Thirty fire trucks were dispatched to battle the blaze, and 28 ambulances arrived at the scene. Nearby hotels were also evacuated.
Footage shown on Turkish television displayed the building's burning upper floors and roof. Photos revealed that virtually nothing inside survived. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Currently, with Turkish schools on vacation, the hotels are overcrowded. As a result, as many as 234 guests were in the building at the time of the fire.
