Officials in Turkey say that a fire has raged through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in the northwestern part of the country during a school holiday, killing at least 76 people.

The fire that claimed 79 lives has sparked public debate over who should be held accountable for the negligence.

ANKARA — As the death toll from an overnight fire at a popular ski resort in northwest Turkey rises to 76, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that the country will observe a day of national mourning on Wednesday.

Outrage over alleged safety failures at a 12-storey hotel in Turkey has escalated into a political clash between the government and the opposition-run local authorities, after a fire killed 79 people and injured more than 50.

Allegations of negligence as 79 people died in blaze at Grand Kartal Hotel on a mountaintop in the Kartalkaya resort

Turkish authorities are investigating a fire at a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey that killed 76 people, including children.

This week, bereaved families in Turkey buried the victims of a fire at a ski resort in the mountainous Bolu province. Survivors spoke out about a lack of basic fire safety at the Grand Kartal Hotel as anger spilled over on social media.

Turkey on Thursday revised the death toll in the devastating fire at a ski hotel in the country's north-west to 78 from 79. The Turkish Ministry of Justice corrected the figure to 78 from the 79 announced the previous day,

The death toll in the devastating fire, at a ski hotel in Turkey’s north-western Bolu province rose to 79, state news agency Anadolu reported on Wednesday.Meanwhile, two more people, including Bolu deputy mayor and fire brigade chief,

Officials say a waitress who jumped out of a burning hotel at a popular ski resort has succumbed to her injuries, becoming the latest victim of tragedy that has shocked the nation and revived concerns over lax safety regulations in the country.

Witnesses have described standing helplessly by the horror of people screaming for help or jumping out of windows as flames tore through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort.