Bolu [Turkiye]: Around 66 people have been killed and 51 people have been injured after a massive fire broke out in a hotel in northern Turkey on Tuesday, reports said.
Reports reaching said that the fire broke out at around 00:27 GMT in the restaurant area of the hotel, which quickly engulfed the building, as per Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin.
Officials said that emergency teams from neighboring cities, including firefighters, disaster response units, and medical teams supported by helicopters, were dispatched to the scene.
Authorities evacuated around 230 guests from the hotel as firefighting efforts continued. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation was initiated by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with six public prosecutors assigned and a five-person expert committee formed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been monitoring the incident closely via relevant institutions since the moment the fire started. “I wish Allah’s mercy to our citizens who lost their lives … and wish a speedy recovery to our wounded,” he said in a post on X.
The resort is a popular destination for holidaymakers during the winter, particularly during school holidays, which begin in January and end in the first week of February, the report said.