They had escaped the fire... They returned to the hotel for those trapped and never made it out

As the identities of the 78 people who lost their lives in the Grand Kartal Hotel fire in Bolu are confirmed, their stories continue to emerge. Among those at the hotel during the fire were intern doctor Yiğit Gençbay and mechanical engineer Alp Mercan.

Mercan and Gençbay, who were known to have been friends since high school, had gone to the Kartalkaya Ski Center in Bolu for a ski vacation.

The friends, who were staying in the same room on the 2nd floor of the hotel, managed to exit the building quickly as they were awakened from their sleep during the fire. The pair even called their ski instructor to inform them that they were safe.

THEY RAN TOWARD THE CRIES FOR HELP

Although Gençbay and Mercan had escaped the fire by leaving the hotel, they could not remain indifferent to the cries for help coming from the rooms. Both of them re-entered the hotel to save those trapped inside. Nothing more was heard from the two friends.

THEIR BODIES WERE RECOVERED

The lifeless bodies of Yiğit Gençbay and Alp Mercan, who had re-entered the flames upon hearing cries for help, were recovered after the fire was extinguished.

'THEY WENT BACK INSIDE WHEN THEY HEARD THE SCREAMS'

Alp Mercan's sister, Nihan Ece Mercan, said the following:

"Yiğit and Alp told their ski instructors, 'We escaped, this is our room number, don't worry about us.' While they were trying to find their own students, they made a list, and they checked off Alp and Yiğit as 'survived.'

Alp was an engineer, and Yiğit was a doctor. But when they heard the screams, they went back inside; my darlings never came out again. They weren't on any list, and when we heard they had survived, we called the hospitals. Mountains and plains were searched. Both Yiğit and Alp were truly characters as noble as their names. Martyrdom suited them both very well. They never separated since high school. They went to martyrdom together, too. They had gone on vacation; they were supposed to check out that morning."

The bodies of the two friends were delivered to their families following identification at the Ankara Forensic Medicine Institute. Yiğit Gençbay's funeral was held yesterday at the İncek Cemetery after the afternoon prayer. A ceremony was also held today for Mercan at the Gölbaşı Cemetery Mosque.