In Bolu, a fire broke out in a 12-story wooden hotel at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, quickly engulfing the entire building in flames. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that the death toll from the fire disaster has risen to 66, with the number of injured reaching 51. Witnesses who saw the tragedy described the horrifying moments they experienced. "THEY JUMPED OUT DIRECTLY"Eyewitness Barış Salgür told AA reporter that he was working at the adjacent hotel and had returned to his room after his shift. When he went outside after hearing noises, he saw everyone screaming "help" from the windows. He mentioned that they were panicking and saw smoke rising from the upper part of the hotel, saying, "We brought rope, pillows, and blankets. We were waiting for the fire department; everyone was shouting there. It lasted about 2 hours. The upper part started burning before the fire department arrived. There were 2 women there. They jumped out directly. When the fire department arrived, they pulled us back, and the fire department intervened. We tried to throw the rope as far as we could. There was an old man there; he tied it. He tried to hold on, but his hand slipped, and he fell, breaking his leg. We tried to help him," he said. "THE HOTEL WAS BURNING WHEN I ARRIVED"Idris Bilgin, one of the helpers, also recounted that he arrived in the area around 6:00 AM and assisted in removing the bodies. He stated that he brought blankets from the nearby hotels to the area, saying, "When I arrived, the hotel was burning. The teams were trying to extinguish the fire. We tried to help as much as we could." "PEOPLE WERE JUMPING OUT OF THE WINDOWS"Ali Atmaca, who was staying at one of the hotels in the area, stated that they woke up to the sound of people and went downstairs upon hearing cries for help. He reported that people were jumping out of the windows in the horror of the fire, and they brought a mattress to help. "BRING A BLANKET, I WILL THROW MY BABY"Atmaca expressed that they tried to prevent people from falling onto the hard ground, saying, "I don't know how useful our efforts were. We witnessed people losing their lives right in front of our eyes, and this situation disturbed our psychology. Then the fire department arrived, but the height of the hotel made it difficult for them to operate. We also brought blankets and mattresses to help. People were thinking of jumping out of the window with their children. One man, dangling his baby, shouted, 'Bring a blanket, hold on! I will throw my baby down.' Thankfully, the fire department arrived just then and saved the child. Although the rescue efforts were quick, many people lost their lives right before our eyes due to the vast area." he stated.
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