Turkey holds 9 people in connection with the 76-person ski resort hotel fire

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced early Wednesday that nine people, including the hotel’s owner, had been arrested in Turkey in relation to a fatal fire that killed 76 people and injured scores more at a ski resort in western Turkey.

The corpses of 45 fatalities have been turned over to their relatives, according to Yerlikaya, while the other bodies are being identified at the forensic institute through DNA testing.

The Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in the Bolu mountains was the site of the fire.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the hotel where the fire started expressed its profound sadness and promised to fully cooperate with the inquiry.

“We are cooperating with authorities to shed light on all aspects of this incident,” added the statement. “We are deeply saddened by the losses and want you to know that we share this pain with all our hearts.”

About 3:30 a.m. (0030 GMT), a fire broke out on the restaurant level of the 12-story hotel, which housed 238 registered guests before it was completely destroyed by flames. Survivors recounted panicked scenes as they leaped from windows and ran through smoke-filled hallways.

Since witnesses stated that no fire alarms sounded during the tragedy, authorities are coming under increasing heat for the hotel’s safety protocols. Visitors reported having to make their way through the smoke-filled hallways in total darkness.

Following the tragedy, which happened during the busiest time of year for winter tourism, when many families from Istanbul and Ankara traveled to the Bolu mountains to ski, President Tayyip Erdogan announced Wednesday would be a day of national sorrow.