Turkiye arrests nine amid anger over deadly hotel fire

Questions emergence implicit information measures astatine the Grand Kartal Hotel astatine a skis edifice successful the Bolu Mountains.

Turkiye has arrested 9 radical successful transportation with Tuesday’s fire astatine a skis edifice hotel that killed 76 people.

The arrests, announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya connected Wednesday, included the proprietor of the hotel, with questions rising implicit the information measures successful place.

The authorities has appointed six prosecutors to pb an probe into the blaze, which is believed to person started successful the edifice conception of the 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel, which sits successful the Kartalkaya skis edifice successful the Bolu Mountains.

Authorities are facing increasing criticism. Witnesses and reports person suggested that the hotel’s occurrence detection strategy failed to operate.

Survivors among the 238 registered guests reported that nary occurrence alarms went disconnected during the incidental and that they had to navigate the smoke-filled corridors successful implicit darkness.

The edifice guests described scenes of panic arsenic they fled and jumped from windows to escape.

Yerlikaya reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed implicit to their families, portion DNA tests were being conducted to place the remaining bodies.

“Our hearts are broken. We are successful mourning,” the curate told reporters extracurricular the hotel. “But you should cognize that whoever is liable for causing this symptom volition not flight justice.”

The edifice expressed heavy sorrow and pledged afloat practice with the investigation.

“We are cooperating with authorities to shed airy connected each aspects of this incident,” it said successful a statement. “We are profoundly saddened by the losses and privation you to cognize that we stock this symptom with each our hearts.”

Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a time of nationalist mourning connected Wednesday. The incidental took spot during the highest of the wintertime tourism season.

Kartalkaya, astir 295km (183 miles) eastbound of Istanbul, is 1 of Turkiye’s apical destinations, attracting thousands of visitors during the skis season.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya (C) addresses media extracurricular the edifice wherever a occurrence broke retired successful the Kartalkaya skis edifice successful Bolu, Turkiye [Adem Altan/AFP]