A devastating fire in Türkiye broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, one of Türkiye's top ski resorts in Bolu province, during the early hours of Tuesday. The hotel had a 90% occupancy rate, with 238 guests staying during the peak season and school semester break.
The blaze started around 3:30 a.m. on the fourth floor in the restaurant area and quickly spread through the 12-story wooden-clad building. The fire claimed 76 lives and left 51 others injured.
Firefighters arrived after about 40-45 minutes following the fire outbreak and worked approximately 11 hours to control the flames. A field hospital was set up nearby to treat the wounded.
The Grand Kartal Hotel, renowned for its luxury and high prices, attracts guests seeking an upscale experience. Nightly rates for bed and breakfast range from ?18,500 to ?38,000 ($520 to $1,070), with a week's stay for two at the highest rate costing approximately ?266,000.
As official investigations were launched into the matter, Türkiye declared a day of mourning for Wednesday. Turkish media is piecing together the extent of negligence that allowed the fire to become so deadly, as public outrage over the incident continues to grow.
A full-scale investigation is underway, with government officials and local authorities offering conflicting statements regarding the fire's causes and the responsibilities of various bodies.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that six public prosecutors have been appointed to investigate the disastrous fire in Türkiye, alongside a five-person expert committee tasked with assessing the situation.
As of now, nine individuals, including the hotel’s owner, Halit Ergul, have been detained in connection with the disaster. The investigation is expected to explore potential violations of fire safety standards and other relevant factors.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy addressed the issue of the hotel’s fire safety measures, stating that inspections were carried out in 2021 and 2024. “The hotel has a fire qualification certificate issued by the fire department,” Ersoy confirmed.
He emphasized that the responsibility for issuing fire safety certificates lies with the fire department and that no negative reports regarding the hotel’s fire adequacy had been received.
"That authority lies with the fire department. To date, we have not been notified of any negative situation regarding fire adequacy by the fire brigade," Ersoy added.
Meanwhile, speaking to Türkiye Today, a senior fire brigade official said, “The ministry is responsible for all the work such as opening, licensing and staring of large-scale hotels in tourism regions. For small businesses within the province, it is done by the municipality," said the official.
"There is a restaurant business here. The restaurant's workplace opening-licensing procedures are within Bolu borders and belong to the municipality," the official highlighted.
However, Bolu Mayor Tanju Ozcan disagreed with the minister's statements and denied any responsibility for the hotel’s oversight.
"The authority to inspect this hotel belongs to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism because it is licensed by the ministry," Ozcan stated. He further clarified, “It is not within the boundaries of Bolu Municipality. This is not a metropolitan city,” arguing that the municipality had no jurisdiction in the matter. Yet it was revealed that the Bolu Municipality awarded a fire safety certificate to the restaurant on the premises some 20 days prior to the fire on Dec. 24, 2024.
Further contradicting Ozcan’s claim, the 2023 annual report from Bolu Municipality revealed that inspections of accommodation facilities in Bolu were conducted by the municipality.
As the judicial investigation continues, the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an inquiry into the incident, seeking to determine whether negligence or misconduct contributed to the deadly fire in Türkiye.