A devastating fire at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel in the popular ski resort of Kartalkaya, located in northwestern Turkey, resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people and injuries to 32 others on Tuesday.
The fire, which broke out around 3:30 a.m. in the hotel’s restaurant, quickly spread through the building.
Two of the fatalities occurred as panicked guests jumped from the burning building.
Governor Abdulaziz Aydin stated that 234 guests were staying at the hotel at the time of the incident.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with thick smoke engulfing the hotel and making it difficult for guests to locate escape routes.
“I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,” said Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, who assisted in evacuating guests.
Television footage showed the upper floors of the hotel engulfed in flames, with the wooden cladding on the exterior of the building suspected to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
Authorities, including 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances, responded swiftly to the incident.
As a precautionary measure, other hotels in the resort were evacuated, and guests were relocated to nearby accommodations.
An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched, with six prosecutors appointed to lead the inquiry.