Advertisement

Guests forced to jump as Turkey ski resort fire kills 76

Ski resort blaze

Source: X 

Desperate guests have jumped from the top floor of a Turkish ski resort and climbed out of windows using bedsheets to escape a fire that erupted in the middle of the night.

The huge blaze is believed to have started on the restaurant floor of the 161-room Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey’s Bolu mountains, in the country’s north-west.

The death toll rose on Wednesday morning (AEDT) to 76, from an earlier figure of 66, with dozens more injured.

At least two people reportedly died while jumping for their lives.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said four people, including the owner, had been arrested, according to a report.

The 12-storey building at the Kartalkaya ski resort was engulfed in flames about 3.30am (local time) as guests were sleeping.

Baris Salgur, a hotel guest, told broadcaster NTV that people jumped from windows to escape.

He said two women on the top floor urged those on the ground to ready pillows as they were forced to make the desperate decision.

“When the fire got close, they jumped right away,” he said.

Another guest told Ekol TV that he and his family woke up to the fire but did not hear alarms.

They entered smoke-filled corridors and eventually jumped from a lower-floor window onto snow below.

When the fire was put out, white bedsheets that had been tied together could be seen dangling from one upper-floor window where people tried to flee.

Turkey ski resort

The resort was built onto a cliff, making the job difficult for firefighters. Photo: X

Several fire engines and ambulances surrounded the charred, wood-fronted building.

Yerlikaya said there were 238 guests at the hotel lying at the base of several ski slopes. It was still smouldering in the afternoon.

“I would like to share this pain, which is impossible to describe,” he said in offering condolences.

“The fire has now been extinguished. Cooling efforts are ongoing. Since the back of the hotel is on a slope, fire extinguishing efforts could only be carried out from the front and side facades.”

Turkey ski resort

The lavish Grand Kartal Hotel on Turkey’s ski slopes. Photo: Tripadvisor

He added that fire crews began battling the blaze about 45 minutes after the first call.

An investigation was underway into the fire, which coincided with school holidays when many families from nearby Istanbul and Ankara head to the Bolu mountains to ski.

-with AP and DPA

Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2025 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.