A hotel fire in a ski resort in northwestern Turkiye has killed at least 66 people, officials say.
The blaze broke out overnight in the restaurant of the hotel in Kartalkaya in Bolu province, Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya said, adding that 51 others were wounded.
“Two-hundred and sixty-seven personnel from various public institutions and organisations responded to the fire and the response is ongoing,” he wrote on X.
“We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,” Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site.
Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition.
Speaking to Turkish news outlet TRT, Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin said the fire began on the fourth floor of the 11-storey hotel at about 3:30am (00:30 GMT). Hours later, firefighters were still working to put it out.
The cause of the fire will be investigated by authorities, he added, noting that it broke out on the restaurant floor.
Two of the victims died after jumping out of the building in a panic, Aydin told the state-run Anadolu news agency. There were 234 guests staying at the hotel, he said.
Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire.
Kartalkaya is one of Turkiye’s premier winter tourism destinations, attracting thousands of visitors during the ski season. The resort lies about 295 kilometres (183 miles) east of Istanbul.
