76 people jumped out of windows to escape: fire at Turkish ski resort (5 photos + 2 videos)
Category: Fires and Catastrophes, PEGI 16
Yesterday, 21:26
The fire broke out on the night of January 21 in the hotel of the Kartalkaya ski resort. At the time of the fire, there were 238 registered guests in the hotel. 
The Kartalkaya ski resort is located at an altitude of 2.2 thousand meters above sea level in the Koroglu mountain range. It is considered one of the most popular places for winter sports enthusiasts, so it is no wonder that now, at the peak of the season, all the hotel rooms were occupied. 
The fire started in the restaurant on the 4th floor. The hotel, built in 1974, was partially covered with wood, so the fire quickly spread throughout the building.
The alarm did not work and many guests were asleep at the time the fire started and did not suspect until the very end that the hotel was on fire. When they smelled smoke and burning, it was too late: people were trapped.
Those staying on the upper floors of the hotel had to wait for the firefighters. Some tied sheets together, trying to get down from the balconies on their own or jumped from the windows. Guests claim that the hotel did not have fire escapes, although according to the inspection, there were two.
The situation was complicated by the fact that the hotel is located on a mountain, and it is difficult for special equipment to get to it. As a result, not everyone was saved. Most of the victims were vacationers who were unable to leave their rooms.
According to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, fire safety inspections were carried out at the hotel in 2021 and 2024 and no violations were found then. The exact cause of the fire is still unknown.
According to the latest data, the death toll from the hotel fire in Turkey has risen to 76, and this may not be the final figure. Another 51 people were injured, according to preliminary data.
The head of the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the detention of 9 people. January 22 has been declared a day of mourning in the country.
