The death toll from the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu's Kartalkaya ski resort has reached 78, the Justice Ministry announced today. According to the ministry, the identification process for all the victims has been completed.
The state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) had reported yesterday, citing the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, that the total number of fatalities was initially thought to be 79. However, this figure was later revised. Efforts to identify those who died in the fire have been finalized following DNA testing.
The Health Ministry stated that 51 people were injured in the fire, including one individual in critical condition. "Thirty-nine of the injured have been discharged, while 12 continue to receive treatment in hospitals," the ministry said.
'No alarms, no sprinklers': Bolu ski resort fire death toll rises to 76 amid negligence allegations
Meanwhile, the bodies of 20 victims were transferred to the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute. Families and loved ones of the victims waited outside the institute to collect their relatives' remains. Identification and transfer processes for the remaining victims are still underway.
Cooling and search-and-rescue operations were completed 36 hours after the fire was first reported. The Gendarmerie Search and Rescue teams have now shifted their focus to identifying and recovering valuable items from the damaged hotel.
Two municipal officials detained
As part of the investigation into the incident, Bolu Deputy Mayor Sedat Gülener and Acting Fire Department Chief Kenan Coşkun were detained yesterday, bringing the number of detainees to 11.
Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, a member of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), claimed that the detentions were politically motivated. Speaking on pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV late yesterday, Özcan argued that the Kartalkaya area is designated as a "tourism zone," which places oversight and inspection responsibilities under the jurisdiction of the Environment Ministry, not the municipality.
Bolu hotel fire: delayed response, lack of oversight, flawed legal framework
(VK)
