A Turkish court has convicted Halit Ergul, the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, to life imprisonment. He and ten others were convicted of manslaughter for their involvement in a deadly fire at a flophouse, the Kiss, which left 78 people dead. Unfortunately, a similar tragedy occurred on January 21, 2023. It was held in Grand Kartal Hotel, located in the Kartalkaya ski resort of Bolu Province.
The fire broke out at 3:17 a.m., when a spark from an electric grill ignited a garbage bin. This first fire broke a liquefied petroleum gas hose, igniting an unquenchable and expanding fire. Within two minutes, flames engulfed the historic hotel. This facility was founded in 1999 and operated by Ergul’s company since 2007.
Staff reported seeing the flames seven minutes after the fire began, but it was already too late at this point. The rapid spread of the fire can be largely attributed to the building’s design. As with the Meridian, these stairwells and elevator shafts functioned like chimneys, rapidly drawing smoke and fire throughout the building. The hotel housed 238 guests at the time of the incident, and the absence of emergency lighting, clear signage, and alternative exits severely hampered evacuation efforts.
Among victims counted were 34 children, largely focusing attention on the killer law’s savage toll on young lives. To this day, 133 people have been injured rushing to flee the mayhem. In its ruling, the court determined that Ergul and the other defendants displayed gross negligence in failing to uphold safety standards at the hotel.
In all, 11 were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in this disaster. This delegation included Ergul’s wife and two daughters. Along with hoteliers, their interests were represented by a deputy mayor and a deputy fire chief. The court’s ruling is a monumental step in ensuring those who perpetrated this neglect are held responsible for their decisions and the subsequent loss of life.
The Grand Kartal Hotel fire left deep fear and distrust regarding safety standards throughout Turkey’s hospitality industry. In the wake of this unspeakable disaster, officials are scrambling to rethink their safety measures. They don’t want this kind of thing to happen again in the future.
