A fire at a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday killed at least 66 people, Turkey’s Interior Minister said.
Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster that struck the Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya, in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the schools semester break, when hotels in the region are packed.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition, while 17 other people had been discharged after being treated, he said.
The fire broke out at around 3:30 a.m. local time in the hotel’s restaurant section, reports said. The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the blaze.
At least two of the victims died after jumping from the building in a panic, Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency earlier, Private NTV television and other media reported that some people tried to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.
There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, Aydin said.
