Turkish ski resort blaze kills 79 amid safety failures
In a hotel fire in Turkey, 79 people died. The fire reportedly started in the hotel's restaurant kitchen. According to Turkish media, many people were poisoned with carbon monoxide while trying to escape through emergency stairways.
A tragic fire occurred at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey, resulting in the deaths of 79 people. The fire began in the kitchen of the hotel restaurant on the fourth floor and rapidly spread to other parts of the building. Reports from the Polish Press Agency indicate that the absence of sufficient fire safety measures, such as a sprinkler system, worsened the spread of the fire.
Investigators found that the emergency stairways in the building acted like a chimney, channeling smoke to higher floors. Survivors reported that escape attempts were hindered by the smoke. It seems that some victims succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. By regulations, emergency exits should be secured with doors on each floor, which was not the case here.
At the time of the fire, 234 guests were staying at the hotel. Witnesses described dramatic scenes as people attempted to escape by jumping out of windows or sliding down ropes made from bed sheets. Thirty fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. The fire department, which arrived an hour after the initial report, rescued over 50 people through windows using a fire truck with a ladder. One person was saved with the help of a trampoline.
Political repercussions
The tragedy has sparked political disputes in Turkey. The ruling party and local opposition authorities are blaming each other for negligence that might have led to the disaster. Preliminary findings suggest the lack of proper fire safety measures in the hotel contributed to the tragic outcome of the fire. In the aftermath, four people have been arrested, including the hotel owner. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey declared a national mourning period and announced severe punishments for those responsible.
Kartalkaya resort, located about 185 miles east of Istanbul, is a popular winter vacation destination in Turkey. During the holiday season, the resorts are filled with guests, which amplified the scale of the tragedy. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and authorities continue to investigate the incident.
