The deadly fire at the “Grand Kartal” hotel located in Turkiye’s Kartalkaya ski resort was caused by the negligence of the chefs.

Axar.az reports that this information was provided by the “Sabah” newspaper, based on investigative data.

It was noted that the fire broke out on January 21 at 03:21 local time in the kitchen where the chefs were preparing breakfast for guests. They started pouring water onto the burning oil, which caused the fire to spread throughout the room. In panic, the chefs ran out into the street, and the fire quickly spread to all floors of the hotel, triggering the fire alarm.

According to the latest information, 19 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation of the fire. Among those arrested are the hotel owner, manager, representatives from the Bolu city municipality near the resort, and the deputy mayor of the Balu municipality.

It is reported that the fire at the “Grand Kartal” hotel resulted in 78 deaths, including many children, and more than 50 people were injured. At the time of the fire, there were 238 guests in the hotel.