Turkey mourns the victims of the fatal Bolu hotel fire as efforts to identify them continue

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is expected to visit Bolu on Wednesday, said those responsible for neglecting the fire “will be held accountable”.

Flags are flying at half-mast across Turkey in memory of the victims of the fire, while the first funerals are being held.

Search and rescue teams are making last-ditch efforts to locate the remaining bodies.

In addition to the deaths, 51 people were injured in the fire, according to health minister Kemal Memisoglu. One received treatment in intensive care, and 17 people have been discharged.

Footage circulating in Turkey shows linen hanging from windows used by those trying to escape the burning building.

The cause of the fire has not been found, but the governor of Bolu Abdulaziz Aydin said the initial report suggested that it had broken out in the restaurant section on the fourth floor of the hotel and spread to the upper floor.

Bolu’s governor said the hotel’s remote location and freezing conditions meant it took more than an hour for fire engines to arrive.

The hotel was last inspected in 2024, and the tourism minister said there were no concerns about the hotel’s fire safety before Tuesday’s disaster.

However, the Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey (TMMOB) said that, according to regulations, an automatic fire extinguishing system is required, and it appears from photos of the hotel that one has not been installed.

It added that it was not clear if other regulations had been followed, but according to the survivor’s statement, “it is understood that the detection and warning system did not work and the escape route could not be determined”.

The Bolu mountains are popular with skiers from Istanbul and the Turkish capital Ankara, which is about 170km (105 miles) away, and the hotel operates at high occupancy levels at the start of the two-week school holidays.