The fire, which broke out at a hotel in the Kartalkaya ski centre, was brought under control after about 10 hours of fighting. The fire killed 66 people and injured 51 others, Anatolian News Agency reported.
A large number of teams dispatched from Bolu, Düzce, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Karabuk, Zonguldak, Bartin and Ankara joined the fight against the flames. The cause of the fire outbreak remains unclear.
Teams and vehicles from the fire services, health services, gendarmerie commandos and regional forestry directorates took part in the extinguishing.
Work at the 12-storey hotel, which firefighters reached using ladders, focused on the upper floors.
During the fire, some tourists were seen tying sheets and hanging them on the windows in an attempt to escape.
Efforts are ongoing to cool the area of the fire, which was brought under control after about 10 hours of work by the teams.
Some of the guests and staff who were evacuated from the hotel have been accommodated at another hotel near the stricken building and are undergoing health checks.
Interior Minister Ali Erlikaya, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the president of the State Disaster and Emergency Service (AFAD) Okay Memis also arrived in the region.
"Our pain is great," Erlikaya told reporters at the resort about 170 km northwest of the capital Ankara. "66 civilians lost their lives and 51 others were injured," he added.
Health Minister Memishoglu said one of the 51 people injured in the fire was being treated in intensive care and 17 people had been discharged. | BGNES
