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2025 Kartalkaya hotel fire

Grand Kartal Hotel in 2007
Date	21 January 2025 (2025-01-21)
Duration	12 hours
Venue	Bolu Grand Kartal Hotel
Location	Kartalkaya, Bolu Province, Turkey
Coordinates	40°35′24″N 31°48′26″E / 40.59000°N 31.80722°E / 40.59000; 31.80722
Type	Fire
Deaths	76
Non-fatal injuries	51

On 21 January 2025, a fire broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the ski resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu Province, Turkey. At least 76 people were killed, while 51 others were injured.^[1][2][3]

The fire began at around 3:27 a.m. TRT (UTC+03:00) at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel, which had 161 rooms and was hosting 238 guests at the time.^[4] Initial reports said that the fire began at the restaurant section of the hotel's fourth floor before spreading to the upper areas.^[5][6] According to witnesses, the hotel's fire detection system did not activate. Some occupants resorted to using sheets and blankets to climb down from their rooms.^[4]

Around 267 emergency personnel,^[5] 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were deployed to the scene. The governor of Bolu Province, Abdulaziz Aydın, said that their arrival was delayed until 4:15 am^[4] due to the hotel's distance from Bolu and freezing weather conditions.^[6] The hotel's position on the side of a cliff also affected firefighting efforts.^[4] A field hospital was set up near the site.^[7] A neighbouring hotel was also evacuated as a precaution. The fire was put out after 12 hours.^[6] According to the Turkish interior minister, the hotel had two fire escapes, and one hotel worker said that they had managed to rescue around 30-35 people^[6].

At least 76 people died in the fire, including two who jumped out of the building "in a panic". Fifty-one others were injured, including one in serious condition.^[4] At the time, Kartalkaya had an increased number of visitors due to the winter school holidays,^[5] with the hotel having an occupancy rate ranging from 80 to 90 percent.^[8] A majority of the deaths were likely caused by suffocation.^[9]

A team of six prosecutors and five experts were ordered to investigate the fire.^[7] Tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that the fire department found "no negative situation regarding fire competence" at the hotel during inspections in 2021 and 2024.^[4] Four people, including the hotel's owner, were arrested for questioning as part of the investigation.^[10]

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a day of national mourning for 22 January and ordered all flags at government buildings and Turkish embassies abroad lowered to half-staff.^[4] A day of mourning was also announced in Northern Cyprus.^[11]

Condolences were sent by the European Union,^[12] Azerbaijan,^[13] Pakistan,^[14] Greece,^[15] the United Arab Emirates,^[16] Jordan,^[17] Kuwait,^[18] Ukraine,^[18] Armenia,^[19] Qatar,^[20] Iran,^[21] Serbia,^[22] Germany,^[23] Russia,^[23] Bosnia and Herzegovina,^[24] Kosovo,^[24] Georgia,^[24] Ethiopia,^[24] Somalia,^[24] Egypt,^[25] Bahrain,^[26] and Uzbekistan.^[27]