“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya said during a site inspection.
The fire, which broke out at approximately 7:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) in the restaurant of the 12-story hotel in Bolu province, quickly spread through the building. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.
Two victims reportedly died after jumping from the building in an attempt to escape, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency. Many others tried to climb down from their rooms using makeshift ropes made of sheets and blankets.
Aydin confirmed that the hotel was hosting 234 guests at the time of the fire.
The tragedy occurred during Turkey’s school semester break, a peak period for tourism in the Koroglu Mountains, approximately 300 km east of Istanbul. Nearby hotels were evacuated as a precaution, with guests relocated to accommodations across Bolu.
Aydin’s office reported that 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
