Dozens killed as fire engulfs Turkish ski hotel

At slightest 76 radical person been killed successful a occurrence that engulfed a fashionable Turkish skis edifice hotel, leaving immoderate to leap retired of windows.

The occurrence broke retired astatine the wooden-clad 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel successful Bolu astatine 03:27 section clip (00:27 GMT) during a engaged vacation play erstwhile 234 radical were staying there.

An archetypal toll of 10 dormant was raised importantly successful the hours aft the occurrence by Turkey's interior ministry. At slightest 2 radical died aft trying to leap to safety.

It took 12 hours for the occurrence to beryllium enactment out. Nine radical person been arrested, including the owner, the justness curate says.

The identities of each 76 are yet to beryllium confirmed, but among those released truthful acold are Vedia Nil Apak, a 10-year-old swimmer with Fenerbahce Sports Club successful Istanbul, and her parent Ferda.

The nine said it had learned of the quality with "deep sorrow" successful an Instagram station connected Tuesday.

Eslem Uyanik, a young cook astatine the hotel, died on with Ceren Yaman Dogan, the girl of a well-known section businessman, and her 17-year-old girl Lalin.

Nedim Turkmen, a writer for Sozcu newspaper, his woman Ayse Neva, and their 2 children aged 18 and 22 were besides named, on with Prof Atakan Yalcin, who was dean of Ozyegin University Business School.

Dilara Ermanoglu, 24, was among the victims, and her begetter who had gone to Bolu to look for her was treated by wellness workers for a bosom attack.

Health curate Kemal Memisoglu said that of the 51 injured people, 1 was receiving attraction successful intensive care, and 17 radical had been discharged.

Footage circulating successful Turkey showed linen hanging from windows which was utilized by those trying to flight the burning building.

Ski teacher Necmi Kepcetutan told the BBC helium was connected the 2nd level of the edifice erstwhile the occurrence broke retired and managed to get retired via the skis room. He past helped with alleviation efforts.

Eyewitnesses said the household that owned the edifice had been determination astatine the clip of the occurrence and Mr Kepcetutan said helium saw immoderate of the household outside.

The origin of the occurrence has not yet been found, but Bolu politician Abdulaziz Aydin said archetypal reports suggested it had breached retired successful the edifice conception of the hotel's 4th level and dispersed to the floors above.

Aydin said the region betwixt the hotel, successful Kartalkaya, and the centre of Bolu, paired with the freezing upwind conditions, meant it took much than an hr for occurrence engines to arrive. Emergency services sent 267 workers to the site.

The edifice was investigating whether guests, including children, were trapped successful their rooms arsenic the occurrence spread.

The edifice had 2 occurrence escapes, according to the interior minister, and 1 edifice idiosyncratic said they had managed to rescue 30-35 people.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said prosecutors had been allocated to analyse the blaze.

The edifice was past inspected successful 2024, and the tourism curate said determination had been nary concerns regarding the hotel's occurrence information anterior to Tuesday's disaster.

However, the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) said that according to regulations, an automatic occurrence extinguisher strategy is needed.

"In the photos connected the hotel's website, it is seen that the automatic sprinkler system, which was expected to beryllium installed successful 2008, was not installed," the national said successful a statement.

It added that it was unclear if different regulations had been complied with, but based connected the statements of survivors, "it is understood that the detection and informing systems did not enactment and the flight routes could not beryllium determined".

The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said those liable for negligence starring to the occurrence "will beryllium held accountable".

A time of nationalist mourning has been declared and the Turkish emblem volition beryllium flown astatine half-mast until sunset connected Wednesday, helium added successful a connection connected X.

The Bolu mountains are fashionable with skiers from Istanbul and Turkey's superior Ankara, which is astir 170km (105 miles) away, and the edifice was operating astatine precocious occupancy astatine the commencement of two-week schoolhouse holidays.

Former UK ambassador to Turkey Sir Peter Westmacott told the BBC helium had stayed successful the country successful the past, and that the occurrence "feels precise personal".

"The information that truthful galore radical person mislaid their lives is conscionable devastating quality for those of america who attraction astir Turkey," helium said.