A fire at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey this week is now known to have killed 78 people, Agence France-Presse reported on Thursday, citing the justice ministry, which said all the victims had been identified.
Entire families perished when the huge fire swept through the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya resort in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Questions have multiplied about fire safety measures at the luxury 12-storey hotel amid growing suspicion that negligence contributed to the high death toll.
Survivors and experts have said the hotel’s fire alarm system did not work.
Derya Başyılmaz, head of the Ankara Chamber of Architects who was in Kartalkaya with a team of experts to prepare a report on the tragedy, told AFP that the hotel had only one fire escape and no sprinkler system.
So far, 11 people have been detained including two officials from the opposition-run Bolu Municipality.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced on X on Wednesday afternoon that Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, responsible for the city’s fire department, and the city’s deputy fire chief Kenan Coşkun were among the 11 people who have been detained thus far as part of the investigation conducted by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The other detainees include the hotel’s general manager, its director and chief electrician.
The fire, which reportedly started in the hotel’s restaurant area, spread rapidly through the building, trapping sleeping guests.
Some victims reportedly tried to escape by tying bedsheets together, while others succumbed to the thick smoke before reaching safety. Firefighters battled the flames for hours as rescuers struggled to evacuate the 238 registered guests.
One of the most expensive ski resorts in Turkey, the hotel boasted a prestigious client list that included executives, entrepreneurs and well-known doctors, many of whom were there with their children and family members.
Among the 51 people who were hospitalized, 39 had been discharged from the hospital as of Thursday morning.