Staff blamed for negligence in devastating fire at Grand Kartal Hotel in Türkiye 79 dead

The cause of the devastating fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel, located in the Turkish ski resort of Kartalkaya, has been traced back to the negligence of the hotel’s chefs.

According to the findings of an investigation, the fire broke out on January 21 at 03:21 local time in the kitchen, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The chefs had been preparing breakfast for guests on a grill when hot oil caught fire. In an attempt to extinguish the flames, they poured water on the burning oil, causing it to splash across the room.

“The chefs panicked and fled outside, which allowed the fire to spread quickly through the entire hotel,” the report stated. “The hotel's fire alarm system had been disabled, which worsened the situation.”

As of now, 19 people have been arrested in connection with the fire, including the hotel owner, the manager, and officials from the Bolu municipality, near which the resort is located.

“The negligence of the staff and the lack of proper fire safety measures have been key factors in this tragedy,” a spokesperson for the investigation revealed.

Note that, the deadly fire claimed the lives of 79 people, many of whom were children, while over 50 others sustained injuries. At the time of the blaze, 238 guests were staying at the hotel.

By Aghakazim Guliyev