Death toll in Turkish hotel fire climbs to 76 — interior minister

The death toll from the fire in the Grand Kartal Hotel in Türkiye’s Kartalkaya ski resort in the mountainous Bolu Province has climbed to 76, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, reported from TASS.

"According to the latest data, as many as 76 people died. 52 of them have been identified and 45 bodies have been handed over to relatives. Nine people have been detained in the course of the probe," he said.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, has been put out.

"The search effort and the survey of the [affected] area have just been completed. We were unable to identify some of the bodies. The identification with the help of DNA tests will continue in forensic institutions. The bodies will be handed over to relatives when this process is over," the minister said.

In his words, the fire broke out at 3:27 a.m. local time (0:27 a.m. GMT) on Tuesday, and its cause is yet to be established.

"Nine people were detained in the wake of the incident. All aspects of this tragedy and of the hotel’s operations will be scrutinized," Yerlikaya added.

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