ANKARA — Nine people have been detained after 76 died from the devastating fire at Turkey's Kartalkaya ski resort in northwestern Bolu province, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
When speaking to the reporters at the scene on Tuesday, Yerlikaya confirmed that search and rescue operations at the site have now been completed, reports Xinhua news agency.
The detainees also include the hotel owner.
"Unfortunately, the number of lives lost has increased to 76. Our teams have finalised their search efforts, and investigations are ongoing," he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a national day of mourning on Wednesday.
"A one-day national mourning has been declared across the country tomorrow," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.
"Those who caused such a disaster in any way, those who have negligence and fault will be held accountable before the law," the Turkish President said.
He added that 17 of the wounded have been discharged, and the treatment of the other wounded, one of whom is in intensive care, continues.
The fire broke out at 03:27 local time (local time) in the 12-storey wooden hotel, which was accommodating 238 guests during the busy holiday season.
Initial investigations suggest the fire started in the fourth-floor restaurant area before spreading upwards, according to Bolu Provincial Governor Abdulaziz Aydin.
Upon receiving the alert, fire crews, search-and-rescue units and medical teams were dispatched from the city centre, surrounding districts, and nearby areas.
Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported that authorities evacuated around 230 guests from the hotel as firefighting efforts continued.
"Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said a judicial investigation was initiated by the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, with six public prosecutors assigned, and a five-person expert committee formed," the report detailed.
Kartalkaya is a popular ski resort in the Koroglu mountains, some 300 km east of Istanbul.
The hotel's website mentions it as one of the top destinations for Turkish Skiers since 1978. The resort enables direct access to 23 slopes with a total length of 20km belonging to the hotel.
Bolu is a city in northern Turkey and the administrative centre of the Bolu Province and Bolu District, located on the highway between Istanbul and Ankara.
Located at the top of the Koroglu Mountains, 38 km from Bolu city centre, 180 km from Ankara and Istanbul, the ski and mountain hotel is spread over an area of 60,000 square metres.