A devastating fire broke out early on Jan. 21 at the 11-story Grand Kartal Hotel, located in the Kartalkaya Ski Resort in Bolu province in northwestern Türkiye. The fire tragically claimed the lives of 76 people and left 51 others injured. The treatment of those who survived the fire continues, with several individuals still hospitalized in critical condition.
According to the Ministry of Health, 51 people were injured in the fire. As of now, 22 individuals remain under medical care, while 29 others have been discharged after receiving initial treatment. The injured have been transferred to hospitals across the region, with emergency responders continuing to provide urgent care.
At the AIBÜ Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital, 19 of the injured are being treated in the hospital’s wards, while one person, whose condition remains critical, is receiving intensive care. At the Bolu Izzet Baysal State Hospital Köroğlu Unit, five additional victims are also being treated in the wards. After initial interventions, 13 injured individuals were transferred to private hospitals outside Bolu, with six having been discharged, while seven others remain under care.
The tragedy was compounded by the desperate efforts of onlookers and hotel staff. Esra Karakisa and Halime Çetin, both witnesses to the chaos, were paralyzed by the horror unfolding before them as guests trapped in smoke-filled rooms cried out for help. In the face of overwhelming heat and smoke, some made the heartbreaking decision to jump from the upper floors.
“There was no one around. They were calling for firefighters. They were breaking the windows. Some could no longer stand the smoke and flames, and they jumped,” Çetin, an employee at a hotel adjacent to the Grand Kartal, told The Associated Press (AP).
As rescue efforts unfolded, the response was hampered by the hotel’s cliffside location. Emergency responders struggled to reach the building’s upper levels, where some guests were trapped.
Witnesses, including Barış Salgür, a cleaner from a nearby hotel, did what they could to help those in peril. “They were saying, ‘Please help, we’re burning!’” Salgur recalled. “We were trying to calm them down, but we couldn’t get in. The flames were too intense, and the building was so high.”
Desperate individuals were seen jumping from great heights, with some surviving by landing on mattresses hastily arranged by others. Salgür described one particularly harrowing scene involving a man holding his baby from the top floor, crying out for help. Though the fire department arrived in time to rescue them, tragically, the baby died from smoke inhalation before they could be saved.
The fire, which began around 3:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. GMT) on the fourth floor of the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu, left authorities working tirelessly. After nearly 10 hours of intense firefighting efforts, the blaze was finally brought under control.
A total of 44 injured individuals, treated either at an on-site field hospital or local hospitals, were successfully discharged. Forensic teams have confirmed the identities of 56 victims, with the death toll reaching 76.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the tragic loss. As part of the ongoing investigation, nine people, including the hotel owner, have been detained for questioning. Six prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the fire’s cause, which is believed to have started on the fourth floor.
Among the victims, several notable individuals have been confirmed dead. This includes Nedim Türkmen, the former president of Orduspor football club, his wife Ayşe Neva Türkmen and their two children. Türkmen, a pivotal figure in Orduspor’s rise to the Süper Lig in 2011.
Another heartbreaking story involves Zehra Sena Gültekin, an employee of Turkish Airlines (THY), who was staying at the hotel with her husband, three children and nine other family members during the mid-term school break. It has been reported that before the fire consumed the hotel, Gültekin called her mother to ask for forgiveness. Tragically, Gültekin and her entire family, including her husband Dr. Enes Gültekin, children and other relatives, lost their lives in the blaze.
A funeral ceremony was held for Dr. Enes Gültekin at the Izzet Baysal State Hospital, where he worked. Directorate of Religious Affairs President Ali Erbaş visited the mourning family to offer his condolences.
The fire broke out in the hotel’s fourth-floor area, where 238 guests were staying at the time. The location of the hotel, perched on a cliff, made it extremely difficult for firefighting teams to combat the flames, as reported by the Bolu Governor’s Office.
As of now, the bodies of 45 confirmed victims have been handed over to their families for burial. The remains of those from outside Bolu have been sent to their hometowns. The investigation into the cause of the fire and the search for any remaining victims continue as authorities work around the clock.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan will attend the funeral prayer of the citizens who lost their lives in the fire.
Following the declaration of a national mourning day for those who lost their lives, flags were lowered to half-mast at prominent landmarks and public institutions across the country.