The death toll from a fire that ripped through a hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey rose to 76, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the interior minister on Tuesday evening.
“Unfortunately, the number of dead is now 76,” said Ali Yerlikaya, updating an earlier figure of 66 dead and saying 52 of the victims had been identified so far.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a national day of mourning in response to the tragedy.
Witnesses said desperate guests had tried to escape using ropes; footage showed bedsheets hanging from the windows; and media reports suggests some had died after trying to jump to safety.
Several ministers arrived at the scene at the Kartalkaya resort around 170 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Ankara, and officials said the fire has now been contained.
“Our pain is great,” Yerlikaya told reporters earlier in the day at Kartalkaya as he announced the initial death toll.
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition.
The blaze broke out at 3:27 a.m. (0027 GMT) in the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel, which had significant wooden cladding, he said.
Some 238 guests were registered as staying at the hotel, the minister added, a peak time during a two-week school holiday.
Private NTV broadcaster said the dead included three people who had jumped from the hotel’s windows.
The fire is believed to have started in the restaurant and spread quickly, though it was not immediately clear what caused it.
Part of the structure backs onto a cliff, making it harder for firefighters to tackle the blaze.
‘I heard screams’
President Erdoğan cut short an address to his ruling Justice and Development Party congress in Ankara, saying: “Our pain is great, our heartache is great.”
He said administrative and judicial investigations have been launched into the cause of the fire.
“All necessary steps will be taken to shed light on all aspects of the incident and to hold those responsible accountable,” he promised.
Television footage showed huge plumes of smoke rising into the sky with a snowcapped mountain behind the hotel.
“I heard screams in the middle of the night, guests were shouting for help,” Barış Salgur, who works at a nearby hotel, told NTV.
“They asked for a blanket, saying they would jump. We did what we could, we brought rope, pillows, we brought a sofa. Some people jumped once the flames approached them.”‘
‘No safety’
Footage showed the wrecked lobby of the hotel with shards of glass on the floor, the reception desk and the wooden furniture inside charred.
Authorities warned the building could collapse.
A survivor told local media that no fire alarm went off when the fire started, complaining about the lack of any safety measures including a fire escape and smoke detectors.
Tourism Minister Nuri Ersoy said the hotel had two fire escapes.
Footage revealed sheets hanging from the hotel’s windows indicating some tied them in order to escape the blaze.
Meanwhile, nine people including the hotel’s owner have been detained as part of an investigation into the fire led by six prosecutors.
Those evacuated were put up in nearby hotels.
Meanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel at another ski resort in central Turkey injured four people.
The explosion took place at the Yıldız Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province. Two skiers and their instructor were slightly injured while another instructor received second-degree burns on the hands and face, the Sivas governor’s office said.