Dozens of Dead and Injured in Devastating Fire at Hotel in Turkey's Bolu Province

The Türkiye Ministry of Interior has announced that the death toll has risen to 66 in a fire that broke out at a hotel in a ski resort in the northwest of the country.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated in a statement that 66 people were killed and 51 others were injured in a fire that occurred on Tuesday evening at a hotel in a ski resort in central Turkey.

Yerlikaya explained that the fire started overnight in the restaurant of the hotel located in the "Kartalkaya" resort in Bolu Province, adding that the incident resulted in 51 people being injured, including at least one in critical condition.

The fire spread rapidly, causing significant damage to large parts of the hotel located on the summit of Mount Kur Oglu.

The Türkiye daily newspaper "Turkey Today" reported that the fire, which began at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, started in the hotel's restaurant area and quickly engulfed the entire building. Emergency teams, including firefighters and medical crews, were sent to the scene.

Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydın stated that the fire started on the fourth floor of the 11-story hotel at around 3:30 AM local time. He mentioned that firefighters continued their efforts for hours to extinguish the fire, stressing that authorities would conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire, which originated in the restaurant floor.

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The governor explained that two victims died after jumping from the building in panic. He added that at the time of the fire, the hotel was hosting 234 guests.

Television footage showed flames consuming the roof and upper floors of the hotel, while reports and eyewitnesses indicated that the hotel's fire detection system had failed.

The hotel sustained severe damage due to the rapid spread of the fire, leading to the destruction of large parts of the building. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

Reports also revealed that the hotel's location on a steep slope, which is difficult to access, hindered the efforts of firefighters.

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It is worth noting that the Kartalkaya Resort is one of Turkey’s most important winter tourist destinations, attracting thousands of visitors during the ski season.

The resort is located about 295 kilometers (183 miles) east of Istanbul.