A tragic incident occurred in a resort area in Turkey. It has been revealed that among the victims were Zehra Gültekin, an employee in the sales department of Turkish Airlines, her husband, their four children, and other relatives, according to the “Adyrna” national portal, citing rg.ru.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the funeral of the deceased. He broke down in tears in front of the grieving crowd.
“We are deeply wounded. Our hearts are burning. I extend my condolences to the relatives of the deceased and our nation,” the president said.
According to the victims’ relative, Özgür Türkmen, siblings who were trapped in the burning hotel called for help.
“Save us! We can’t reach our parents. There are no firefighters here,” they wrote in a desperate message.
However, hours later, all of them, along with their parents and other relatives, were found dead in the hotel.
The tragic incident occurred at the 12-story Grand Kartal ski resort hotel, located 270 kilometers from Istanbul. During the fire, tourists and staff who had come for a winter holiday were present in the hotel. The rapid spread of the fire, along with thick smoke and insufficient safety measures, left people with no chance to escape.
Some survivors reported that the fire alarm in the hotel did not go off, and emergency staircases could not be found. Turkey’s Union of Engineers stated, based on photos from inside the hotel, that the fire safety system had not been installed, even though it should have been implemented years ago.
It is worth noting that 76 people lost their lives in the hotel fire in Turkey. A nationwide day of mourning has been declared in the country.
