66 Dead in Turkey Ski Resort Hotel Fire, Dozens Injured

BOLU, Turkey — A devastating fire tore through a ski resort hotel in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday, killing at least 66 people and injuring 51 others, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The blaze, which broke out around 3 a.m. at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, forced desperate guests to leap from windows to escape the flames and smoke.

“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters during a press conference. The 12-story hotel, built into a rock face, posed significant challenges for firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with guests screaming and jumping from upper floors to escape the inferno.

Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency that around 234 guests were staying at the hotel at the time of the fire. Two victims died after jumping from the building “in a panic,” Aydin said. The resort, a popular winter destination, was particularly crowded due to school holidays, which run from January to early February.

Emergency services responded with 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances, while 267 personnel were mobilized to tackle the blaze. Authorities evacuated nearby hotels as a precaution, relocating guests to other accommodations in the Bolu region. Videos shared on social media and broadcast by Turkish TV stations showed flames engulfing the top floors of the hotel, with some guests using tied bed sheets to attempt escapes.

An eyewitness told CNN affiliate CNN Turk, “It was so bad. Everybody was jumping out of the windows with the fear of death, and people were so ashamed as there were no fire extinguishers around.” The witness added that emergency services arrived late, leaving guests unsure of how to respond.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet determined what sparked the deadly blaze. This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more information becomes available.