- विज्ञापन -
Ankara: Nine people have been detained after 76 died from the devastating fire at Turkey’s Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Bolu province, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. When speaking to the reporters at the scene on Tuesday, Yerlikaya confirmed that search and rescue operations at the site have now been completed, reports Xinhua news agency.
The detainees also include the hotel owner. “Unfortunately, the number of lives lost has increased to 76. Our teams have finalised their search efforts, and investigations are ongoing,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a national day of mourning on Wednesday. “A one-day national mourning has been declared across the country tomorrow,” Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, extending his condolences to the families of the victims. “Those who caused such a disaster in any way, those who have negligence and fault will be held accountable before the law,” the Turkish President said.
He added that 17 of the wounded have been discharged, and the treatment of the other wounded, one of whom is in intensive care, continues. The fire broke out at 03:27 local time (local time) in the 12-storey wooden hotel, which was accommodating 238 guests during the busy holiday season.
Initial investigations suggest the fire started in the fourth-floor restaurant area before spreading upwards, according to Bolu Provincial Governor Abdulaziz Aydin. Upon receiving the alert, fire crews, search-and-rescue units and medical teams were dispatched from the city centre, surrounding districts, and nearby areas.
