KARTALKAYA, Turkey — A tragic incident unfolded as a fire engulfed a 12-story hotel at a well-known ski destination in northwestern Turkey. Friends Esra Karakisa and Halime Cetin found themselves frozen in shock as they witnessed the chaos: desperate individuals leaning out of smoke-filled windows pleading for assistance, while others faced the terrifying choice of jumping from the building to escape the inferno.
The catastrophic fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalya, located in the Koroglu mountains of Bolu province, claimed the lives of at least 76 individuals and left 51 others injured. This disaster occurred just ahead of the winter school break, a time when many hotels in the area are fully booked.
“There was no one present to help. They called for firefighters and tried to break the windows. Some people could no longer bear the smoke and flames and chose to jump,” Cetin, who works at a nearby hotel, recounted. Her colleague Karakisa described the scene as horrific: “It was terrifying to witness. We could hear people screaming, and the cries of children especially affected us. Our desire to assist conflicted with our helplessness; it was simply too horrifying to watch.”
In response to the tragedy, authorities have appointed six prosecutors to investigate the fire’s origin, which reportedly began in the restaurant area of the hotel’s fourth floor and rapidly spread to the upper levels. So far, at least nine individuals have been detained for questioning, including the hotel’s owner.
In the wake of this disaster, flags were lowered at official government buildings and Turkish embassies worldwide as the nation held a day of mourning for the victims. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that only 45 out of the 76 deceased have been identified to date.
Among those hurt, one person was reported in critical condition, while the remaining 29 were treated and discharged, according to the Health Ministry. The hotel was officially reported to have 238 guests registered at the time of the fire, which was first reported at 3:27 a.m. The fire department did not arrive on the scene until 4:15 a.m., as explained by officials.
Witnesses and officials stated that rescue efforts were particularly complicated due to a section of the hotel being located on a cliffside. Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy noted that the hotel had undergone inspections in both 2021 and 2024, with no findings indicating fire safety issues reported by authorities.
In the aftermath, Karakisa assisted survivors by providing clothes and water while others worked to bring mattresses to catch those who jumped or positioned ladders against the wall to aid in their escape. One of the individuals who helped was Baris Salgur, a cleaner at a nearby hotel.
“People yelled, ‘Please help, we’re burning!’ and ‘Call the fire department!’ We tried to keep them calm, but there was nothing we could do; we couldn’t enter the hotel either,” Salgur, 19, shared. “The height was immense, and we lacked the means to extend a rope. We were doing our best under tragic circumstances.”
He described seeing a man on the upper floors holding a baby, urgently asking for a mattress for the child to fall onto. “We told him to stay calm. They eventually waited for the fire department, but unfortunately, the baby succumbed to smoke inhalation before they could be rescued,” he lamented.
