Turkiye has arrested nine people in connection with Tuesday’s fire at a ski resort hotel that killed 76 people.
The arrests, announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Wednesday, included the owner of the hotel, with questions rising over the safety measures in place.
The government has appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the blaze, which is believed to have started in the restaurant section of the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, which sits in the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu Mountains.
Authorities are facing growing criticism. Witnesses and reports have suggested that the hotel’s fire detection system failed to operate.
Survivors among the 238 registered guests reported that no fire alarms went off during the incident and that they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.
The hotel guests described scenes of panic as they fled and jumped from windows to escape.
Yerlikaya reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed over to their families, while DNA tests were being conducted to identify the remaining bodies.
“Our hearts are broken. We are in mourning,” the minister told reporters outside the hotel. “But you should know that whoever is responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice.”
The hotel expressed deep sorrow and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
“We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident,” it said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts.”
Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning on Wednesday. The incident took place during the peak of the winter tourism season.
Kartalkaya, about 295km (183 miles) east of Istanbul, is one of Turkiye’s top destinations, attracting thousands of visitors during the ski season.
