Turkiye arrests nine amid anger over deadly hotel fire news

Questions are being raised over security measures at the Grand Kartal Hotel, a ski resort in the Bolu Mountains.

Turkey has arrested nine people on Tuesday in connection with a fire at a ski resort hotel that killed 76 people.

The hotel’s owner was also among the arrests announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Wednesday, raising questions about security measures.

The government has appointed six prosecutors to lead the investigation into the fire, which is believed to have started in the restaurant section of the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, located at the Kartalakaya ski resort in the Bolu Mountains.

Officials are facing increasing criticism. Witnesses and reports have suggested that the hotel’s fire detection system failed to work.

Survivors among the 238 registered guests reported that no fire alarm went off during the incident and they had to walk through smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.

Hotel guests described scenes of panic as they ran and jumped from windows to escape.

Yerlikaya said the bodies of 45 victims have been handed over to their families, while DNA tests are being conducted to identify the remaining bodies.

“Our hearts are broken. We are in mourning,” the minister told reporters outside the hotel. “But you must know that whoever is responsible for this pain will not escape justice.”

The hotel expressed deep sorrow and promised full cooperation in the investigation.

“We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident,” it said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the loss and want you to know that we share this pain with our whole hearts.”

Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of national mourning on Wednesday. The incident occurred during the peak of the winter tourist season.

Kartalakaya, about 295 km (183 mi) east of Istanbul, is one of Turkiye’s top destinations, attracting thousands of visitors during the ski season.