At least 66 people have died and dozens of others were taken to hospital as a result of a fire that broke out in the early morning hours of January 21 at a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Bolu.

The fire reportedly started in the hotel’s restaurant and spread to the entire 12-story building due to the wooden cladding on its exterior. So far, the cause remains unknown, according to Hurriyet.

The incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m., an hour when most of the residents were asleep, which made the situation even more difficult. 234 guests were staying at the hotel, according to the governor of the area, Abdulaziz Aydin.

Mobile phone videos captured shocking scenes, with guests tying sheets to get down from windows while others screamed for help.

Two of the victims were killed after jumping from the building in panic, the governor said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was briefed on the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced the opening of an investigation into the fire, appointing six prosecutors and a team of five experts.