A tragic fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Turkey’s Bolu mountains early Tuesday claimed 66 lives and left 51 injured, as desperate guests leapt from windows to escape the blaze.
The fire started at 3:30 a.m. on the restaurant floor of the 12-storey hotel, rapidly engulfing the building, where 238 guests were staying. Witnesses described smoke-filled corridors and makeshift escapes using tied bedsheets.
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Firefighters faced challenges accessing the slope-side hotel, delaying rescue efforts. The cause of the fire, which struck during a busy school holiday ski season, is under investigation.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya called the loss “impossible to describe,” as the nation mourns this devastating disaster.
