21 January 2025, 21:01

154

"They died in front of our eyes" - Shocking testimonies about the fire with 66 dead in Turkey

"They died in front of our eyes" - Shocking testimonies about the fire with 66 dead in Turkey
"They died in front of our eyes" - Shocking testimonies about the fire with 66 dead in Turkey

INTERNATIONAL #Turkey

The fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday in a hotel in the ski resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu Province, Turkey, resulted in the death of 66 people and the injury of 51 others.

"We are deeply saddened. "Unfortunately, we lost 66 lives from the fire in the hotel," Interior Minister Ali Gerlikaya said after the autopsy at the scene.

For his part, the Minister of Health, Kemal Memisoglou, said that one of the injured is in a serious condition, while 17 people were discharged from hospitals.

The fire started at 3:30 am. (local time) on the fourth floor of the hotel, which has 161 rooms, according to a statement from the prefecture of Bolos. The difficult location of the hotel, which is located on a cliff, made the work of the firefighters difficult.

The first extinguishing efforts began at 4:15 a.m., while the operation lasted 10 hours without managing to prevent the tragedy, as reported by Turkish media.

Mobile phone videos captured shocking scenes, with visitors tying sheets to climb down from windows, while others screamed for help. Two of the victims were killed after jumping from the building in panic, the governor said.

The testimonies are shocking

Baris Salgur, an employee at a nearby hotel, described hearing voices and helping to rescue people. “I saw people shouting from the windows. Before the fire department arrived, two women jumped from the upper floors," he said.

Ski instructor Nejmi Kepcetutan said he helped rescue about 20 guests. "The smoke was suffocating and it was difficult for people to find the emergency exit," he said.

Tragic details were also given by other witnesses, such as Ali Atmaja, who was trying to help those who were jumping from the windows to escape the fire. "We put layers, despite our efforts, many lives were lost before our eyes," he said.

“My wife smelled the fire. The alarm didn't go off," another guest staying on the third floor of the hotel told the IHA agency.

"We tried to go upstairs but we couldn't, there were flames. We went downstairs and got out,” he said. “People upstairs were screaming. They hung sheets... some tried to jump," he added.

Turkey's interior minister said a fire at a popular ski resort has killed dozens of people and injured at least 51 others. Read more: https://t.co/rMMzyX3FQF pic.twitter.com/szGUc5Mt9F

— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 21, 2025

Four arrests

The Bolou Prosecutor's Office immediately launched a judicial investigation, appointing six prosecutors and a five-member team of experts to determine the causes of the fire. According to the Turkish media, as part of the investigation, 4 people were arrested, including the owner of the business.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his deep regret, assuring that the investigation will continue without interruption to assign responsibility. "We are taking all the necessary measures to shed light on the incident and to render justice," he stressed.

The fire coincided with the school holidays, a time when many families visit the ski resort for winter activities. At the time of the incident, 234 people were staying at the hotel.

Source: protothema.gr

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