It had become a grave for 78 people: New report released on the Kartalkaya fire

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) has published its report regarding the fire tragedy that occurred on January 21 at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Kartalkaya, which claimed the lives of 78 people.

In the comprehensive report released one month after the tragedy by the Chambers of Electrical Engineers, Civil Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, and Architects affiliated with TMMOB, attention was drawn to the inadequacy of inspection and maintenance services.

TMMOB also issued a call to the institutions and organizations with authority and responsibility.

VIOLATIONS OF FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS

The report included striking findings regarding the Grand Kartal Hotel's non-compliance with existing fire safety regulations. Some of the deficiencies identified based on fire department reports, witness statements, the preliminary report of the chief civil inspectors, and expert observations are as follows:

Lack of Fire Escapes: While there should have been at least two fire escapes according to regulations, the hotel had only one. Furthermore, the fire resistance of the staircase was insufficient, and there was no fire safety lobby.

Use of Flammable Materials: It was determined that flammable XPS material was used in the hotel's exterior cladding and that a large portion of the ceilings was covered with flammable wooden paneling.

Fire Department Access Issues: It was determined that the necessary arrangements for fire trucks to easily reach the building had not been made, and that the intervention area, especially at the back of the hotel, was limited.

Inadequate Fire Extinguishing Systems: It was found that there was no automatic sprinkler system and that the tank supplying water to the fire cabinets was empty.

Lack of Gas Detection and Shut-off System: It was revealed that there was no automatic fire extinguishing system for the stoves in the kitchen, and that there was no gas detection or gas shut-off system.

Elevators Were Operational: The elevators, which should have been automatically disabled during a fire, were in working order, and it was determined that some of the casualties occurred for this reason.

Fire Detection Systems Did Not Work: It was determined that the fire detection and warning systems, which should have been installed in accordance with regulations, did not function during the fire.

LACK OF INSPECTION DREW ATTENTION

The TMMOB report emphasized that despite the Grand Kartal Hotel being inspected many times, vital deficiencies regarding fire safety were ignored. It was revealed that the hotel was inspected a total of five times by the Provincial Special Administration in 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024, but that the inspections were conducted only on food hygiene and environmental factors. Whether any inspections were conducted regarding fire safety remains unclear.

TMMOB officials stated that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Provincial Special Administration, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and insurance companies, which are responsible for the inspection of accommodation facilities, are responsible for this tragedy.

''PUBLIC SAFETY CANNOT BE SACRIFICED FOR PROFIT GREED''

The TMMOB report included the following calls for the relevant institutions:

*The Ministry of Culture and Tourism should regularly inspect the facilities to which it has granted tourism certificates,

*The Provincial Special Administration should monitor the implementation of fire safety measures determined at the licensing stage,

*The Ministry of Labor and Social Security should increase fire preparedness inspections in accommodation facilities,

*Insurance companies should carry out fire safety inspections,

*LPG distribution companies should periodically check installation safety,

*AFAD and the Union of Municipalities should establish a unit to analyze statistical data regarding fire department services.

The Chambers of Electrical, Civil, and Mechanical Engineers and Architects affiliated with TMMOB stated that the disabling of public inspection mechanisms leads to major disasters and called on all relevant institutions to fulfill their duties to prevent such events from happening again.