66 dead, 51 injured in Turkey resort fire, people made rope by tying bedsheets to get down from 11th floor

The fire broke out at the Kartalkaya ski resort,

New Delhi: At least 66 people were killed and 51 injured when a fire broke out at a resort in Turkey on Tuesday, 21 January 2025. People made ropes by tying bedsheets to get down from 11th floor to escape the fire.

The fire broke out at the Kartalkaya ski resort located in the Bolu province of Turkey on Tuesday, 21 January 2025 resulting in the deaths of 66 people. In panic, many jumped from the 11th floor, leading to several injuries and fatalities.

More than 50 people were injured in the incident. According to news agency Reuters, there was a stampede after the fire broke out.

According to officials, the fire started around 3:30 AM local time (6 AM Indian time) in the hotel, engulfing the 11-story building. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

According to Turkey’s Daily Sabah newspaper, the Kartalkaya ski resort is situated on a cliff, which made it very difficult for fire brigade vehicles to reach the site and delayed rescue operations.

Bolu’s governor Abdul Aziz Aydin reported that 234 guests were staying at the hotel. 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched to the scene. Authorities have also deployed 267 emergency workers to control the fire. According to reports, Turkey’s tourism and health minister has already departed for the accident site.

In Turkey, school holidays are currently underway. Kartalkaya, located about 300 kilometers east of Istanbul, is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains. At this time, school semester holidays are ongoing in Turkey, which has led to a significant crowd in all hotels here. As a precaution, other hotels in the area have been evacuated.