ANKARA, Turkey -- A Turkish court on Friday sentenced the owner of a ski resort hotel and 10 others to life in prison after convicting them of severe negligence in connection with a deadly fire that swept through the property, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.The blaze hit the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel at the Kartalkaya ski resort in the province of Bolu on Jan.21 during the winter school break, killing 78 people and injuring 133 others.
A total of 34 children taking family vacations were among the victims.The court convicted hotel owner Halit Ergul, along with his wife, two daughters, hotel managers, a deputy mayor and a deputy fire chief of negligence with “probable intent to kill.” They were each sentenced to life imprisonment for the deaths of the children, and received an additional 25 years in prison for the 44 other fatalities.The defendants, who have rejected responsibility for the deaths, were expected to appeal the decision.The courtroom broke into applause after the verdicts were read, with families welcoming the sentence, Haberturk news channel reported.The disaster forced terrified guests and hotel staff to leap from windows or dangle bedsheets to escape rooms engulfed in smoke and flames.
It sent shockwaves across Turkey, sparking widespread calls for accountability over negligence and safety violations.Popular ReadsHurricane Melissa live updates: No official death toll in JamaicaOct 30, 10:54 PMDaylight saving time in 2025: When to 'fall back' this yearOct 30, 4:35 PMUSDA says SNAP benefits won't be issued on Nov.1Oct 26, 5:58 PMFamily members and friends of the victims staged demonstrations outside the courthouse during each hearing, holding up posters of their loved ones and demanding justice.According to the indictment, the fire began at 3:17 a.m.
when a spark from an electric grill ignited a garbage bin and ruptured a liquefied petroleum gas hose, triggering the blaze.Staff noticed the flames seven minutes later, but within two minu...