A Turkish court has sentenced the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel and ten others to life imprisonment for negligence that led to a devastating fire killing 78 people at a ski resort in Bolu Province.
According to CNN report, the tragic incident occurred on January 21 at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort during the winter school holidays.
The 12-story hotel blaze left 133 people injured, including families vacationing with children.
Authorities confirmed that 34 children were among the victims.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the court found hotel owner Halit Ergul, his wife, two daughters, two hotel managers, a deputy mayor, and a deputy fire chief guilty of “negligence with probable intent to kill.”
Each received life sentences for the deaths of the children, plus an additional 25 years for the remaining 44 victims.
Families of the victims broke into applause as the verdict was read, expressing relief after nearly two years of legal battles.
Many had staged protests outside the courthouse during every hearing, holding photos of their loved ones and demanding justice.
The defendants denied wrongdoing and are expected to appeal the ruling, according to Haberturk News.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
Investigations revealed that the fire started at 3:17 a.m. when a spark from an electric grill ignited a garbage bin, rupturing a liquefied petroleum gas hose and triggering an explosion.
Staff noticed the flames seven minutes later, but the fire spread uncontrollably within two minutes.
An open door allowed air to intensify the flames, which quickly engulfed the hotel’s wooden ceiling.
The lack of proper fire safety systems made escape nearly impossible.
The indictment detailed multiple safety failures no smoke extraction system, faulty alarms, inadequate staff training, missing sprinklers, and poor emergency signage.
Stairwells and elevator shafts acted as chimneys, spreading smoke to upper floors and trapping guests.
Witnesses said terrified vacationers jumped from windows or tied bed sheets together to escape the smoke-filled building.
Negligence and Systemic Failures
Prosecutors argued that the hotel’s management ignored repeated safety warnings and failed to conduct mandatory fire drills.
The hotel, which first opened in 1999 and was acquired by Ergul’s company in 2007, reportedly lacked valid safety certifications at the time of the incident.
The disaster sent shockwaves through Turkey, prompting nationwide debates over building safety and fire regulation enforcement.