ANKARA, Turkey — A fire broke out early Tuesday at a 12-story hotel in a popular ski resort in northwest Turkey during a school holiday, killing at least 66 people, including at least two who died while jumping to escape the blaze. officials said.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 people were also injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, in the Koroglu mountainous area of ​​Bolu province. , the hotel is located approximately 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred just before the school's two-week winter break, when hotels in the area were packed with people.

"We are in deep pain. Unfortunately, we lost 66 people in the fire that broke out in this hotel," Yelikaya told reporters after inspecting the scene.

Atakan Yelkovan, a hotel guest staying on the third floor, told the IHA news agency that there was chaos upstairs as other guests tried to escape the fire, including trying to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets.

"People upstairs were screaming. They hung up the sheets ... some were trying to jump," Yerkovan said.

Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said that at least one of the injured was in serious condition and 17 others were treated and discharged.

The hotel has 238 registered guests, Yerlikaya said. He told reporters the fire was reported at 3:27 a.m. and the fire department began responding at 4:15 a.m.

The government appointed six prosecutors to lead the investigation into the fire, which is believed to have started in the restaurant part of the hotel. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunk said four people, including the hotel owner, were detained for questioning as part of the investigation.

Governor Abdulaziz Aydin earlier told the state-run Anadolu news agency that at least two of the victims died when they jumped from the building in panic. The victims included Sozcu newspaper columnist Nedim Turkmen, his wife and two children, the newspaper announced.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of national mourning on Wednesday. All flags at government buildings and Turkish diplomatic missions abroad will be flown at half-mast, he said.

Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was sleeping when the fire broke out and rushed out of the building. He told television station NTV that he then helped about 20 guests leave the hotel.

The hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to find fire escapes, he said.

"I couldn't reach some of the students. I hope they're okay," the ski instructor told the station.

Television images showed fire on the hotel's roof and top floor.

Witnesses and reports indicate that the hotel's fire detection system failed to operate.

"My wife smelled something burning. The alarm didn't go off," said guest Yelkovan who spoke to IHA. "We tried to go upstairs but we couldn't because there were flames. We came down here (outside)," he said.

Yerkovan said it took the fire brigade about an hour to arrive.

NTV said the wooden cladding on the hotel's exterior, designed in a cabin style, may have accelerated the spread of the fire.

Part of the 161-room hotel sits on a cliffside, hampering efforts to put out the fire.

"Because of the slope at the rear, intervention can only be done from the front and side," Jelikaya confirmed.

Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told reporters that the hotel had been inspected in 2021 and 2024 and that the fire service reported "no negative circumstances regarding firefighting capabilities."

Earlier, Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara: "Unfortunately, this morning we received very sad news from Bolu in Kartakaya. Our brothers and sisters were killed in a fire in a hotel. Killed and injured."

He added: "All necessary steps will be taken to identify all aspects of the incident and hold those responsible to account."

NTV footage showed the lobby blackened by smoke, with glass entrances and windows smashed, the wooden reception desk charred and a chandelier crashing to the ground.

Aydin's office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were dispatched to the scene.

Other hotels in the resort were evacuated as a precautionary measure and guests were accommodated in hotels around Bolu.

Meanwhile, a gas explosion occurred at a hotel in another ski resort in central Türkiye, injuring four people.

The explosion occurred at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province. Two skiers and their instructor suffered minor injuries, while another instructor suffered second-degree burns to his hands and face, the Sivas governor's office said.