Death toll from ski resort fire rises to 78

The death toll from the devastating fire at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Turkey’s northwestern province of Bolu has risen to 78, with eleven people arrested in connection with the incident, said Thursday January 23 the Turkish Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc.

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Among the detainees are the deputy mayor of Bolu municipality responsible for the fire department, the fire chief, as well as the owner and manager of the hotel, Tunc said on the social network were in progress.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, quickly spread through the 12-story wooden hotel. Initial investigations suggest that the fire started in the restaurant area on the fourth floor before spreading to the upper levels. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of national mourning on Wednesday January 23.

“Those who caused such a disaster in any way, those who were negligent and at fault will have to answer to the law.”declared Mr. Erdogan during a press conference organized after the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

He added that 17 of the injured had been discharged from hospital and that treatment of the remaining injured, one of whom is in intensive care, was continuing. The hotel welcomed 238 guests during this holiday period. Kartalkaya is a popular winter sports resort located in the Köroglu Mountains, some 300 kilometers east of Istanbul.

Xinhua/VNA/CVN