2 killed in Uludağ hotel fire, national skier among dead

BURSA

The blaze at a hotel in Türkiye’s leading ski resort of Uludağ in a northwestern city early on March 27 killed two people, including a national skier and his instructor father.

The fire broke out at around 5:30 a.m. when the Kervansaray Hotel was closed to guests but still occupied by staff.

Fire crews arrived swiftly and managed to bring the blaze under control after a 90-minute operation.

The 30-year-old hotel was shut down following inspections carried out in the aftermath of the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Bolu province in January.

The incident in the Kartalkaya ski resort, which resulted in 78 deaths, sparked public outrage over negligence and led to a wave of inspections at hotels, forcing dozens of establishments to close.

Authorities reported that 12 people were inside the Uludağ hotel and its adjacent ski facility when the fire broke out.

Among them were ski instructor Yahya Usta, his wife, Fikriye Usta, and their son, Berkin Usta, who were all affected by smoke inhalation. They were taken to a local medical center in Uludağ, but Yahya Usta and Berkin Usta could not be saved.

A five-member expert team, including mechanical and electrical engineers as well as fire department officials, has been tasked with investigating the cause of the fire.

In a statement, the hotel said the blaze started in an outdoor veranda area before spreading to the main building.

Camera footage from the hotel's security camera showed a group of young people sitting outside, eating snacks and drinking tea. At 5:22 a.m., a spark from the glowing barbecue, which the young people had left next to the fireplace before leaving, ignited the ornamental plant next to the fireplace, causing the fire.

However, local media outlets have put forth allegations that the fire may have ignited due to a barbecue lit by hotel staff on the roof.

Skier represented Türkiye at Winter Olympics

Berkin Usta, one of the victims, was a national alpine skier who had represented Türkiye in numerous international competitions.

The 24-year-old followed in the footsteps of his father, who was the president of the Türkiye Ski and Snowboard Instructors Association.

Berkin Usta made history by securing Türkiye’s best-ever result in the men’s giant slalom event at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival, finishing in 21st place. In 2021, he won a silver medal at the Alpine Skiing FIS Anatolian Cup and was among the seven athletes representing Türkiye at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency before the Beijing Games, Berkin Usta had expressed his lifelong ambition.

"Competing at the Olympics has been my dream since childhood. Despite many challenges, I earned the right to represent my country in Beijing. Of course, I’m incredibly proud and happy. I have always given my best effort in every competition, and at the Olympics, I wanted to perform at my highest level to show that we, too, can compete on the world stage."

Hours before the fire, Berkin Usta had shared a video from Uludağ on social media.

According to local reports, he and his family had returned to the hotel to retrieve their ski equipment as the season had ended.