The mayor of the provincial capital Bursa, Mustafa Bozbey, has criticized the incident at the Uludağ Kervansaray hotel in Turkey that left 12 people hospitalized.
A ski resort that was “not supposed to open” has seen a fire kill two people and trap guests.
The shuttered Kervansaray Hotel in Uludag, in Turkey’s northwestern Bursa province, suffered its second such fire in just two months on Thursday. The hotel was unoccupied when the fire broke out at 5.30am in the early hours of the morning, but staff were on site, Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey said. Three people were hospitalised with smoke inhalation poisoning, just two months after authorities called for investigations following a fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the neighbouring province of Bolu. The Turkish Ski and Snowboard Association said two of Turkey’s alpine skiing champions, Yahya Usta, 57, a former national skier, and his son Berkin Usta, 25, also a national skier, were killed in the incident. Dramatic footage captured by local journalists showed the flames quickly engulfing the six-storey building on the slopes of one of the country’s most popular ski resorts. Fire crews quickly arrived at the scene and were able to contain the fire after two hours of intense fighting, but they were unable to save the entire building.
Turkey Fire: Shocking Moment Ski Hotel Fire Kills 76, Guests Forced to Parachute
The upper floors of the building were almost completely destroyed and investigators confirmed the blaze started in the hotel's dining area. While the exact cause has yet to be determined, it has emerged that the 30-year-old hotel was denied a tourism licence earlier this year after a fire at the Turkish resort in January killed dozens of people.
A devastating fire engulfed the 12-story wooden Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu during the holiday season at around 3:27 a.m. (00:27 a.m.) on January 22. Around 234 people were in the hotel at the time, and the fast-spreading fire killed 79 people and took firefighters 12 hours to completely extinguish the blaze.
People reportedly jumped out of windows to escape the fire, and at least 51 hotel guests were injured. Police launched an investigation after the incident, as reports emerged with conflicting conclusions about whether the hotel met safety standards.
Investigators have arrested nine people, including the hotel owner, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed that anyone found negligent will be “held accountable” after visiting the scene. Speaking after the incident in January, Erdogan said: “Unfortunately, we received very sad news this morning from Bolu, Kartalkaya.
“Our brothers and sisters were killed and injured in the fire that broke out in the hotel. All necessary measures will be taken to clarify all the circumstances of the incident and bring those responsible to justice.”
Echoing his words as he accompanied reporters to the scene, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the government was in “deep pain.” He promised: “But you must know that whoever is responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice.”
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
