The death toll from a massive fire at a ski resort in central Turkey has risen to 66.
According to Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed this information in a statement. He noted that 51 people sustained injuries of varying severity. Government officials, including the Minister of Health, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, and the head of the emergency response agency, urgently arrived at the scene.
The prosecutor’s office of Bolu Province, where the Kartalkaya Ski Center is located, will conduct an investigation into the causes of the tragedy.
Surviving tourists reported being caught off guard by the fire. Some stated that the fire alarm system failed to activate, and they only realized the danger after hearing cries for help in the hallway. By then, the corridors and staircases were already filled with thick, acrid smoke, making evacuation extremely difficult.
The fire broke out in the middle of the night at one of the hotels on the resort. Initial reports mentioned ten fatalities, but the number of victims increased significantly as rescue operations progressed.
