The owner of a Turkish hotel, Halit Ergül, along with ten others, has been sentenced to life in prison following a tragic fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu, which resulted in the deaths of 78 people, including 34 children. This incident, noted as the deadliest fire in Turkey’s history, occurred during school holidays in January.
The court found Ergül, his wife, and two daughters guilty of severe negligence. Others convicted included Bolu’s deputy mayor and the local fire chief. A total of 32 individuals faced charges related to the fire, which ignited in the hotel’s restaurant during the early morning hours. Some guests were forced to jump from the 12-storey building to escape the flames. Additionally, 137 people were reported injured in the blaze.
An investigation determined that certain safety equipment was non-functional at the time of the fire, and some of the hotel’s gas equipment did not comply with safety standards. Ergül denied any responsibility for the incident, citing regular inspections of the hotel and attributing the issue to the gas supplier. He also indicated that oversight responsibilities lay with the tourism ministry, asserting that he would have closed the hotel had he anticipated the risk.
In contrast, 18 additional defendants received sentences ranging from 12 to 22 years, primarily hotel employees, while a couple of individuals, including two cooks, were acquitted. The Bolu mountains are a favored destination for skiers traveling from Istanbul and Ankara, located about 170 km (105 miles) away. At the time of the fire, the hotel was experiencing high occupancy due to the school holiday period.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7977nlzvgpo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss