A fire engulfed the Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey’s Kartalkaya ski resort on January 21, 2025, resulting in the deaths of at least 76 individuals and injuring 51 others. The blaze erupted around 3:30 a.m. local time on the restaurant floor of the 12-story hotel. The fire then rapidly spread through the wooden-clad structure. With 238 guests registered, the hotel was near full occupancy due to the winter school holidays.
Tragic Attempts To Escape Fire At The Turkish Ski Resort
According to reports by The Associated Press, guests faced harrowing choices to escape the inferno as the fire spread. Some resorted to tying bedsheets together to descend from windows, while others, trapped by advancing flames and thick smoke, leaped from upper floors. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and desperation, with individuals calling for help and attempting perilous escapes.
“There was no one around. They were calling for firefighters. They were breaking the windows. Some could no longer stand the smoke and flames, and they jumped,” Harime Cetin, who works at a hotel close to the Grand Kartal, told The Associated Press. Cetin’s friend, Esra Karakisa, added, “It was awful. We were terrified. People were screaming. The cries of children especially affected us. We wanted to help but there was nothing we could do. I couldn’t look it was so terrifying.”
Emergency Response Challenges
The hotel’s remote location and severe winter conditions delayed emergency response efforts. Firefighters arrived approximately 45 minutes after the initial alarm, and the hotel’s position on a cliffside further complicated rescue operations. Still, rescue teams worked tirelessly to save those trapped inside, but the intensity of the flames hampered their efforts.
Medical teams treated survivors for burns and smoke inhalation, and helicopters were dispatched to airlift the critically injured to hospitals. Authorities have launched a full investigation into the fire, detaining several individuals, including the hotel’s owner and key staff members.
Inspectors are focusing on whether negligence or violations of fire safety regulations contributed to the devastating incident. The hotel had reportedly undergone inspections in recent years, but survivors have raised concerns about a lack of fire alarms and emergency exits. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a national day of mourning and emphasized that those responsible would be held accountable.
