A Turkish court on Friday handed life sentences to the owner of a ski resort hotel and 10 others after finding them guilty of gross negligence over a catastrophic fire that tore through the property, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The inferno ravaged the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Province’s Kartalkaya ski resort on January 21, during the winter school holiday, claiming 78 lives and leaving 133 injured.
Among the dead were 34 children who had been vacationing with their families.
Hotel owner Halit Ergul, along with his wife, two daughters, hotel executives, a deputy mayor, and a deputy fire chief, were all convicted of negligence with “probable intent to kill.”
Each received a life sentence for the deaths of the children, plus an additional 25 years in prison for the 44 other victims.
The convicted individuals, who have denied any wrongdoing, are expected to appeal the ruling.
The courtroom reportedly erupted in applause as the verdicts were announced, with families of the victims expressing relief and satisfaction, Haberturk reported.
The tragedy forced panicked guests and staff to jump from windows or use tied bedsheets to escape as smoke and flames swept through the building.
The fire sent shockwaves across Turkey and intensified public outcry for stronger safety enforcement and accountability.
Throughout the trial, relatives and friends of the deceased gathered outside the courthouse, holding up photos of their loved ones and demanding justice.
Investigators revealed that the blaze started at 3:17 a.m. when a spark from an electric grill set a garbage bin ablaze, rupturing a liquefied petroleum gas hose that intensified the fire.
Staff detected the flames seven minutes later, but within two minutes, the blaze had become uncontrollable.
The open door of a nearby area fanned the flames, allowing them to quickly consume the wooden ceiling.
The indictment cited numerous safety lapses, including a lack of smoke extraction systems, malfunctioning alarms, poorly trained personnel, and missing sprinklers, which caused toxic fumes to spread rapidly through upper floors.
Stairwells and elevator shafts acted as chimneys, while the absence of emergency lighting, exit signs, and alternative escape routes trapped guests inside.
The Grand Kartal Hotel, which first opened in 1999, had been under Ergul’s company management since 2007.
