Newly emerged security footage shows the moment a fire began at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a winter resort in Turkey’s Bolu province, where 78 people died and 51 were injured in the early hours of January 21, the Demirören news agency reported.
Watch the moment a faulty grill thermostat sparks the deadly fire that tore through the Grand Kartal Hotel, a winter resort in #Turkey, eventually killing 78 & injuring 51. Critics say high-level officials who enabled the hotel's safety violations have not been held accountable. pic.twitter.com/E1k1ZohVUW
— Turkish Minute (@TurkishMinuteTM) May 2, 2025
The video confirms that the fire started in the fourth-floor restaurant, where a grill plate used for preparing breakfast was left on. Investigators found the grill’s thermostat was defective and failed to shut off the heat, causing it to overheat and ignite nearby materials.
A 189-page expert report submitted to prosecutors reveals that the fire was fueled by a solvent-based cleaning fluid, which melted and spread with grease into a nearby trash bin.
The flames reached an LPG hose, triggering an uncontrollable blaze that overwhelmed the restaurant within minutes. The fire suppression systems required by law — including sprinklers, smoke detectors and automatic extinguishers — were missing.
Authorities have detained 41 people in connection with the incident, including hotel owner Halit Ergül, his family members and several public officials. Nineteen remain in pretrial detention.
Critics argue that while arrests have been made, the public officials who enabled the hotel’s continued operation despite major safety violations have yet to be held truly accountable.