Investigation Commission on the Kartalkaya Ski Resort Hotel Fire hears from AFAD officials

AFAD President Pehlivan and AFAD officials made statements and gave a presentation to the Investigation Commission on the Hotel Fire at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort.

In his speech here, Pehlivan reminded that he was appointed to the AFAD Presidency this month.

Expressing that the fire in question saddened everyone, Pehlivan stated that he received information about the fire after taking office.

Subsequently, AFAD General Director of Disaster Response Sadi Ergin gave a presentation regarding the fire.

Stating that all those injured in the fire have been discharged, Ergin reported that the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel was reported to the 112 Emergency Call Center on January 21 at 03:27.

Ergin said that following the report, AFAD, fire department, health, and gendarmerie teams were dispatched to the region.

"WE HAD TO WITNESS PAINFUL EVENTS"

Stating that the Kartalkaya Gendarmerie Station reached the region 4 minutes later, Ergin noted that health teams arrived at the scene 46 minutes later and the fire department 57 minutes later. Sadi Ergin stated that AFAD reached the region 55 minutes after the report.

Stating that AFAD dispatched 26 vehicles and 105 personnel to the region, Ergin explained that the fire was intervened with 171 vehicles and 533 personnel, and that there were 161 rooms in the 12-story hotel.

Pointing out that the employees were in the "sub-basement" area of the hotel during the fire, Sadi Ergin spoke as follows:

"There was accommodation in 77 rooms of the 12-story hotel. 238 guests were staying in 77 rooms; as of that evening, 338 of our citizens were staying at the hotel, including 100 employees. All our institutions in the field fought to neutralize the fire as soon as possible. While intervening in the fire, we had to witness the painful events we saw during the search operations."

"SURROUNDING FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE INFORMED"

Taking the floor upon the questions of the deputies, AFAD President Pehlivan emphasized that AFAD is a young institution of the state.

Reminding that all emergency calls are gathered under the 112 umbrella, Pehlivan stated that the reports received here are directed to the relevant institutions according to their subject.

Recalling that a report was also received by the 112 Emergency Call Center after the hotel fire, Ali Hamza Pehlivan said, "We see that after the fire, notification started with the nearest security point or the nearest unit that could reach the scene. The gendarmerie, fire department, health services, and AFAD, which is responsible for coordination, were informed."

Stating that surrounding fire departments were notified based on the assumption that the local fire department might be insufficient or inadequate after the fire, Pehlivan explained that within the scope of the previously prepared Bolu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan, determinations were made to establish water tankers and fire units in 20 locations that do not have a fire department or are far from one.

Following the presentations and the evaluations of the deputies, Commission Chairman and AK Party Erzurum Deputy Selami Altınok announced that the preliminary investigation report of the Ministry of Interior would be requested.

News Source: AA