Hotel fire in Turkish ski resort claims 76 lives, 9 detained. Who is to blame?

A devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya, a popular ski resort in Bolu, Türkiye, has resulted in 76 deaths and left 51 people injured, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

The incident occurred on January 21, 2025, marking one of the country’s deadliest hotel disasters in recent years. The 12-storey hotel, which had 238 registered guests, was consumed by flames after the fire started on the restaurant floor around 3:30 a.m.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a day of national mourning on January 22 and called for the tragedy not to be politicized.

Nine individuals, including hotel owner Halit Ergül, have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation.

One hour for fire crew to arrive

The high death toll has been attributed to several critical factors, including the absence of a local fire station in the Kartalkaya ski center. Governor Abdülaziz Aydın revealed that fire crews had to travel one hour and fifteen minutes from the city center to reach the scene, significantly delaying the initial response.

Employee statements have revealed that the luxury establishment, where room rates ranged from 18,000 to 50,000 Turkish lira per night, reportedly lacked adequate fire safety measures despite its premium pricing.

According to Turkey’s Fire Protection Regulations, responsibility is divided into three main categories: fire safety responsibility (held by property owners and managers), inspection responsibility (shared by local fire departments and relevant ministries), and periodic testing and maintenance responsibility (assigned to building owners and managers).

Regulatory oversight

The debate over accountability has intensified as various officials attempt to shift blame.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy suggested the local fire department had previously approved the facility, appearing to implicate the Bolu Metropolitan Municipality. Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan claimed that the hotel’s location outside municipal boundaries placing it under the jurisdiction of both the Bolu Provincial Special Administration and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s provincial directorate.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry also bears responsibility for periodic inspections of tourism facilities, including fire escape routes and safety protocols.

The Justice Ministry’s investigation is expected to determine the full extent of responsibility among various parties, including: the hotel ownership and management, the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s inspection protocols, the Provincial Special Administration’s oversight, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s regional office and previous safety inspections and approvals.

The tragedy has prompted calls for immediate safety inspections at other popular Turkish winter tourism destinations, including Uludağ, Sarıkamış, Palandöken, and Erciyes ski resorts, highlighting the crucial need for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and emergency response capabilities at Türkiye’s tourist facilities.