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At least 66 reported killed in fire at Turkish ski resort hotel

At least 66 people have been killed in a fire at a popular Turkish ski resort hotel in Kartalkaya, according to reports.

The fire broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel at 03:27 local time on Tuesday (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday period, said the BBC.

It took 12 hours for the fire to be extinguished, and four people have been arrested, the justice minister reportedly said.

The resort is in the Bolu mountains, a region of northwest Turkey that is popular with skiers from Istanbul and the capital Ankara, which is about 105 miles away.

The 12-storey hotel was operating at high occupancy at the start of two-week school holidays, with 234 people said to be staying there.

Footage circulating in Turkey showed linen hanging from windows which was used by those trying to escape the burning building.

Sky News reported that other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu.

A team of six government-appointed prosecutors is investigating how the fire started, added Sky.

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