The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning and the Interior Minister expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life during a press conference. He further revealed that 45 of the 76 victims have been identified and efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining individuals. As part of the investigation into the cause of the fire nine people have been detained.

The fire broke out around 3:00 a.m. on January 21, 2025 at the Grand Hotel located in a ski resort in Northwestern Turkey. The fire reportedly spread quickly and many of the victims including children are believed to have died from suffocation as the hotel was filled with smoke.

At the time of the fire there were 238 registered guests staying in the 12-story hotel. Firefighters responded quickly but by the time the flames were extinguished the damage had already claimed dozens of lives.

The fire department has not reported any prior issues with the hotel’s fire safety measures though investigations into the incident are still ongoing. Turkish President Recep Tayyip confirmed that both administrative and criminal inquiries are underway with all necessary measures being taken to determine the cause of the fire and hold those responsible accountable.

In response to the tragedy the country will observe a day of mourning on Wednesday honoring the victims of this devastating event.