In the early hours of Tuesday, disaster unfolded at the Grand Kartal Hotel, situated 180 miles east of Istanbul, when a catastrophic fire broke out, claiming at least 76 lives. Guests, including families on winter holiday, were caught in a frantic struggle to escape the blaze, as they received desperate pleas for help in a family WhatsApp group. Reports reveal a lack of fire alarms and missing safety features, such as vital sprinkler systems, raising serious safety concerns regarding the hotel’s preparedness for such emergencies.
Tragedy Strikes Turkish Ski Resort: Fire Claims 76 Lives
Tragedy Strikes Turkish Ski Resort: Fire Claims 76 Lives
Devastation and outrage erupt as families mourn the loss of loved ones in Bolu's Grand Kartal Hotel fire.
On that fateful morning at around 5:30 a.m., urgent messages flooded a family’s WhatsApp group from siblings trapped within the burning hotel. “Save us,” they pleaded to their uncle, Ozgur Turkmen. Tragically, within a few hours, the siblings and their parents perished in the inferno. This incident has triggered an outpouring of grief and anger, with many questioning the safety protocols at the Grand Kartal Hotel, which was a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts.
Survivors recounted harrowing moments as they struggled to escape dense smoke while hearing no fire alarms blaring. Eyewitness accounts have sparked concerns as a Turkish engineers union stated that evidence suggests the hotel lacked a functioning sprinkler system, which should have been installed long ago.
The ski resort fire has now become a profound tragedy not only for the families directly impacted but also for the wider community as they grapple with the grim implications of inadequate safety measures in accommodation facilities. As investigations begin, the demand for accountability and stricter safety regulations in hotels across Turkey is likely to grow louder, as many voice the fear that such calamities should never happen again.
