Death toll hits 79 after Turkish ski hotel fire amid probe, anger

Istanbul [Turkiye], January 23: The death toll in the devastating fire at a ski hotel in Turkey's north-western Bolu province rose to 79, state news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, two more people, including Bolu deputy mayor and fire brigade chief, were detained as part of an investigation on Wednesday, bringing total number of detainees to 11, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç wrote on social media platform X.
Turkish authorities were facing growing criticism over a lack of safety measures at the hotel where the fire killed at least 79 people and wounded over 50 the previous day.
Witnesses, hotel workers and opposition parties have suggested that the fire detection system failed in the hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort.
Survivors reported there were no fire extinguishers and that the fire brigade took too long to arrive, travelling from the city of Bolu about 40 kilometres away to reach the hotel in the mountains.
Survivors described scenes of panic, with many racing through smoke-filled corridors to reach the exit while others had to jump from windows to escape. State broadcaster TRT showed images of family members hugging and crying as they waited to receive bodies of relatives brought to the capital Ankara.
Turkey has a poor record when it comes to building safety. The authorities were accused of ignoring construction safety requirements following a devastating earthquake in the country`s east in 2023 which killed over 50,000 people.
The largest opposition party, the CHP, accused the government of relaxing fire safety regulations over a decade ago, in 2012.
In a parliamentary question to the Tourism Ministry, seen by DPA, CHP also criticized the fact that there had not been a sprinkler system installed in the hotel, although this was mandatory.
Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on Tuesday held the local fire brigade responsible and rejected allegations that there were no fire escapes.
Meanwhile, work at the site of the accident continued. Local disaster authority AFAD and the fire brigade were still combing through the hotel on Wednesday, state news agency Anadolu reported, despite a potential risk of collapse.
It is currently a school holiday period in Turkey, and several children are reported to be among the dead.
Source: Qatar Tribune