Nine detained following deadly fire at Turkey ski resort hotel

Turkey has detained nine individuals in connection with a devastating fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and left dozens injured at a ski resort in the western part of the country.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the arrests early Wednesday, adding that the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, where the fire occurred, was among those detained.

The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. at the 12-story hotel, located in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains, engulfing the building after starting on the restaurant floor.

The hotel had 238 registered guests at the time. Survivors recounted scenes of chaos as they fled through smoke-filled hallways and jumped from windows to escape the flames.

As of Wednesday, 45 victims’ bodies have been returned to their families, while DNA testing is ongoing to identify the remaining victims, whose bodies are being processed at the forensic institute.

The hotel, in a statement issued Wednesday, expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy and pledged full cooperation with authorities in the ongoing investigation. “We are deeply saddened by the losses and share in this pain with all our hearts,” the statement read. “We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident.”

Criticism has mounted over the hotel’s safety protocols, as survivors reported the absence of fire alarms during the blaze.

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Some guests described navigating the smoke-filled hallways in total darkness, raising questions about the adequacy of the hotel’s emergency measures.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared Wednesday a national day of mourning in response to the tragedy, which struck at the height of the winter tourism season.

Many of the victims were families who had traveled from Istanbul and Ankara to the Bolu mountains for a skiing holiday.

The investigation into the fire is ongoing, with authorities vowing to determine the full circumstances behind the deadly incident.