Turkish authorities have detained 11 people including two officials from the opposition-run Bolu Municipality in northwestern Turkey as part of an investigation into a deadly fire at a ski resort that claimed 76 lives on Tuesday, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced.
Tunç said on X on Wednesday afternoon that Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener, responsible for the city’s fire department, and the city’s deputy fire chief Kenan Coşkun were among the 11 people who have been detained thus far as part of the investigation conducted by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The other detainees include the hotel’s general manager, its director and chief electrician.
Bolu Kartalkaya'da meydana gelen otel yangınıyla ilgili Bolu Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı tarafından başlatılan adli soruşturma büyük bir hassasiyetle çok yönlü ve titizlikle sürdürülmektedir.
Soruşturma kapsamında şu ana kadar aralarında Bolu Belediyesi İtfaiyeden Sorumlu Başkan…
— Yılmaz TUNÇ (@yilmaztunc) January 22, 2025
The Bolu Municipality is run by mayor Tanju Özcan, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Özcan says his municipality does not have any responsibility to conduct the hotel’s inspections for fire safety, claiming that the responsibility lies with the tourism ministry. The ministry blames the municipality for any negligence or lack of inspections that might have prevented the disaster.
“There is no excuse for such a high number of deaths in 2025,” CHP leader Özgür Özel said outside the blackened facade of the hotel where rescuers were combing through the ruins on Wednesday.
Tunç said a seven-member expert committee is investigating the fire and what caused it.
The blaze erupted at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a 12-story resort in the Kartalkaya ski region, a popular winter destination.
The fire, which reportedly started in the hotel’s restaurant area, spread rapidly through the building, trapping sleeping guests.
Some victims reportedly tried to escape by tying bedsheets together, while others succumbed to the thick smoke before reaching safety. Firefighters battled the flames for hours as rescuers struggled to evacuate the 238 registered guests.
One of the most expensive ski resorts in Turkey, the hotel boasted a prestigious client list that included executives, entrepreneurs and well-known doctors, many of whom were there with their children and family members.
By Wednesday afternoon, more than 20 victims had yet to be identified. Among the 51 people who were hospitalized, 29 had been discharged from the hospital as of Wednesday.