Olympic skier Berkin Usta, 24, and his father die in hotel fire in Turkey

(CNN) — Olympic skier Berkin Usta and his father have died in a fire which broke out at a hotel resort, the Turkish sports minister confirmed on social media Thursday.

Usta, 24, and his father – who was the president of the Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers Association and a former national skier – had been staying at the Kervansaray Hotel in Uludağ, Bursa.

“I learned with deep sorrow the news that our national athlete Berkin Usta, who represented Turkey at the Beijing Winter Olympics, and his father, former national athlete Yahya Usta, passed away in a fire that broke out in Bursa,” Osman Aşkın Bak said on X.

“May God have mercy on our athletes and I offer my condolences to their families, loved ones and the entire sports community. May their resting place be heaven.”

According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, 110 rescue personnel were sent to attend to the blaze after it broke out. The manager of the hotel has since been detained, according to Anadolu.

CNN has reached out to the hotel manager, the Kervansaray Hotel, Bursa police and the Bursa Governor’s office for comment.

Berkin Usta’s mother, who was also staying at the hotel, survived and was taken to hospital, according to Anadolu Agency.

The Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s office told Anadolu Agency that the hotel manager had a barbecue with the Usta family in the cafeteria area behind the hotel the evening before the fire and then left the hotel.

“We have learned about the tragic death of Turkish Olympic skier Berkin Usta, and his father, in a terrible fire,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said in a statement on X. “Berkin lived his Olympic dream by competing at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 in Alpine skiing. Our thoughts are with their family and friends.”

Usta had represented Turkey at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, finishing 43rd in the giant slalom and failing to finish in the slalom.

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey told reporters that an initial investigation into the fire found that there were “many deficiencies” at the hotel and that it did “not comply with the fire regulations.”

CNN has reached out to Jura Hotels, the owner of the Kervansaray Hotel, for comment on the Bursa mayor’s statements.

The Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office told Anadolu Agency that an investigation was ongoing and the cause of the fire was yet to be determined.

CNN has reached out to the Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for comment.

“We have learned with deep sorrow that our national skier Berkin Usta, who represented our country at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the Erzurum 2017 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival, and his father, former national skier Yahya Usta, passed away due to a hotel fire in Uludağ, Bursa,” the Turkish Olympic team said on X.

“We wish God’s mercy to our national skier Berkin Usta and his father Yahya Usta, and offer our condolences to his family, loved ones and the sports community.”

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