Istanbul [Turkey], January 28: Turkish authorities have taken 19 people into custody in connection with the blaze last week at a ski resort hotel in the northern city of Bolu as investigations proceed, state news agency Anadolu reported on Monday.
Those arrested include the hotel owner, the manager, the local fire chief and the deputy mayor of Bolu. An arrest warrant has also been issued for an employee of the inspection company, the report said. The fire, which broke out in the early hours of January 21, claimed the lives of 78 people. Many of the more than 230 hotel guests sought to escape by jumping from the windows of the Grand Kartal Hotel.
The fire has caused outrage in Turkey amid allegations that fire prevention measures had been widely ignored. The central government and the Bolu municipality have traded allegations of blame for the incident, against the background of the fact that the city is controlled by the opposition CHP party. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
