76 Dead in Fire at Turkish Ski Resort Hotel, Many Injured

Photo : AP

A huge fire broke out early at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in northwestern Turkey. The fire killed at least 76 people, and 51 others were hurt, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya.

He later shared that 45 of the 76 people who died have been identified, and work is still being done to figure out the identities of the other victims. Nine people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the fire.

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The fire started after 3 a.m. on Tuesday at the hotel, which had 238 guests staying at the time. Many of the victims, including children, appear to have died from smoke inhalation.

The fire department had not found any issues with the hotel’s fire safety before the incident, but the interior minister said an investigation is still going on.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey said both a criminal and administrative investigation would be done. "We will take all necessary steps to understand what happened and hold those responsible accountable," he said.

Erdoğan also announced that there would be a national day of mourning on Wednesday for the victims of the fire.