A devastating fire claimed the lives of 79 people and injured dozens more at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a popular ski resort in Kartalkaya, located in the Bolu province of northwestern Turkey. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, January 21, 2025, according to officials.
Following his inspection of the site, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya informed the media, “We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 79 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel.”
The fire started in the hotel’s restaurant, located on the fourth floor of the 12-story structure, at approximately 3:27 a.m. At the time, the hotel was hosting 234 guests as it was a school semester break. Emergency response teams arrived at the scene by 4:15 a.m., their response times impacted by the hotel’s cliff-side location and harsh winter conditions.
A guest on the third floor, Atakan Yelkovan, recounted his experience to a local news agency. “My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off,” he said. “We tried to go upstairs but couldn’t; there were flames. We went downstairs and came here.”
Local Governor Abdulaziz Aydin confirmed that two of the victims perished after jumping from the building in a state of panic. Other guests attempted to escape by making makeshift ropes from sheets and blankets to climb down from their rooms, but some of these makeshift ropes ripped, leading to fatal falls. “People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets … some tried to jump,” Yelkovan recalled.
The hotel’s location on a cliff in the Koroglu mountains posed significant challenges for firefighters attempting to reach the rear of the building. The hotel’s design further complicated rescue efforts, as fire engines were unable to effectively approach all sides of the hotel. Television footage revealed multiple floors consumed by flames, with thick smoke billowing from the upper stories.
NTV television reported that the hotel’s exterior, designed with traditional chalet-style wooden cladding, may have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread. The hotel’s fire detection system failed, leaving many guests unaware of the danger until they saw flames or smelled smoke.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu reported that one injured person remains in serious condition. Seventeen of the injured have been discharged from hospitals, while others are still receiving treatment in various medical facilities across Bolu.
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor, managed to evacuate 20 guests after being awakened by the fire. Speaking to NTV television, he said, “I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK.” He described how the dense smoke made it challenging for guests to locate fire escapes.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the disaster, led by six prosecutors. Four individuals, including the hotel’s owner, have been detained in connection with the incident. The Justice Minister has confirmed the allocation of multiple prosecutors to determine the cause of the fire.
The Kartalkaya resort, situated 185 miles east of Istanbul in the Koroglu mountains, attracts a significant number of visitors during the winter season. At the time of the fire, the resort was operating at high capacity due to the school semester break.
