The fire that broke out in the early hours of Tuesday at a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu province, Turkey, resulted in the deaths of 66 people and injured 51 others.

“We are experiencing deep sadness. Sadly, we have lost 66 lives in the hotel fire,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said after an autopsy at the scene.

For his part, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said one of the injured was in serious condition, while 17 people were discharged from hospitals.

The fire started at 3:30 a.m. (local time) on the fourth floor of the hotel, which has 161 rooms, according to a statement from the Bolu prefecture. The hotel’s rugged location, which sits on a cliff, made the work of firefighters difficult.

The first firefighting efforts began at 4:15 a.m., and the operation lasted 10 hours without succeeding in preventing the tragedy, Turkish media reported.

Mobile phone videos captured shocking scenes, with guests tied sheets to climb down from windows while others screamed for help. Two of the victims were killed after jumping from the building in panic, the governor said.

 Shocking testimonies

Baris Salgur, an employee at a nearby hotel, described how he heard voices and helped rescue people. “I saw people shouting from the windows. Before the fire brigade arrived, two women jumped out of the upper floors,” he said.

Ski instructor Nejmi Keppetuthan said he helped rescue about 20 guests. “The smoke was suffocating and it was difficult for people to find the emergency exit,” he said.

Tragic details were given by other witnesses, including Ali Atmaja, who was trying to help those jumping out of windows to escape the fire. “We put up mattresses, despite our efforts, many lives were lost before our eyes,” he said.

“My wife smelled the fire. The alarm didn’t go off,” another guest staying on the third floor of the hotel told IHA.

“We tried to go upstairs but we couldn’t, there were flames. We went downstairs and got out,” he said. “People on the upper floors were screaming. They were hanging sheets. some tried to jump,” he added.

 Four arrests

The Bolu District Attorney’s Office immediately launched a judicial investigation, appointing six prosecutors and a five-member team of experts to determine the cause of the fire. According to Turkish media, four people, including the owner of the business, were arrested as part of the investigation.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his deep regret, assuring that the investigation will continue unabated to hold them accountable. “We are taking all necessary measures to shed light on the incident and bring justice,” he said.

The fire coincided with school holidays, a time when many families visited the ski resort for winter activities. At the time of the incident, 234 people were staying at the hotel.