A day of mourning is under way in Turkey for the 76 victims of a fire that engulfed a popular ski resort hotel in the country's north-west. The fire broke out at the wooden-clad 12-storey Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period when 234 people were staying there. It took 12 hours to put out.

Ali Yerlikaya said at least 51 other people were injured in the disaster that struck the Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya, in Bolu province’s Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) east of Istanbul. The fire occurred during the schools' semester break, when hotels in the region are packed.

Turkey declared a national day of mourning after a fire at a hotel in a popular ski resort killed 76 people. At least 51 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out around 3:30 a.m. on a restaurant floor of the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in northern Turkey.