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The Grand Kartal hotel in a Turkish ski resort ablaze with at least ten people known to have lost their lives (France24)
by Mick the Ram
At least ten people have died and 32 more are reported injured after a fire broke out at a 12-storey hotel in Turkey.
The blaze started just before 3.30 am on the fourth floor, seemingly in the restaurant area of the Grand Kartal hotel, in Kartalkaya, Bolu province, and the flames rapidly spread to the floors above.
There were 234 guests staying at the facility and many are thought to have become trapped in their rooms, with early reports suggesting at least two of the deceased have fallen to their death after attempting to jump from height.
Others are said to have desperately tried to climb down the side of the building using sheets and blankets tied together, but the likelihood is that the death toll will rise significantly.
Early images showed the hotel roof and top floors completely ablaze and there has been a suggestion put forward that wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire.
The location of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, which apparently hampered efforts to fight the flames. That, plus freezing weather conditions delayed the arrival of the fire services.
There were eventually 30 fire engines and 28 ambulances operating at the site, with over 260 emergency service personnel deployed and their rescue and recovery efforts have continued throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was suddenly awoken and probably only survived because he knew the lay out of the hotel and was able to find the fire escape in the thick, choking smoke.
He said able to help around 20 guests get out, but others would not have been so fortunate. Visibly upset, Mr Kepcetutan recalled seeing people at the windows shouting “save us”, but said the rooms were engulfed in smoke and he was gravely concerned for their welfare.
Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 185 miles east of Istanbul, and about 100 miles from the capital Ankara. It is very popular around this time of the year as it is the start of a two-week school holiday period.
The government have immediately appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the fire, the cause of which is still to be confirmed.
Lord please be merciful