In connection with the tragic fire at the hotel in the ski resort of Kartalkaya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared January 22 a day of national mourning. As a sign of grief for the victims, national flags will be lowered throughout the country, MIR 24 reports with reference to 360.

The tragedy unfolded on the night of Tuesday in the province of Bolu, where flames engulfed a multi-story hotel. According to Governor Abdulaziz Aydin, the fire started in the restaurant area of the building. At the time of the incident, 234 guests were in the hotel.

The situation was aggravated by the wooden structures of the building, through which the fire spread at an alarming speed. Witnesses report the lack of basic fire safety equipment in the hotel, including fire extinguishing systems and smoke detectors. Fire crews arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, when a significant part of the building was already engulfed in flames. Trapped on the upper floors, guests were forced to escape by climbing down sheets or jumping from windows.

According to the latest information, 76 people died in the fire, and more than 50 were injured. President Erdogan assured that all those responsible for the tragedy will be held accountable.

A special commission headed by the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey arrived at the scene to investigate the causes of the incident.