Istanbul, Turkey — A fire engulfed a hotel at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey on Tuesday, killing 10 people and injuring 32, the interior minister said. Witnesses said desperate guests tried to escape using ropes, and video showed sheets hanging from windows. Media reports suggest that some people died after trying to jump to safety.

Several ministers arrived at the scene of the crash in the resort town of Kartalkaya, about 100 miles northwest of the capital Ankara, and officials said the fire was now contained.

The fire broke out at 3:27 a.m. (7:27 p.m. Monday, Eastern) at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel, which has wood paneling, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

Local media reported that at least 230 people were staying at the hotel, a peak during the two-week school holiday.

Private broadcaster NTV said three people who jumped from the hotel window were among the dead.

The fire is believed to have started in the restaurant and spread quickly, although it was not immediately clear what caused it.

Part of the hotel leans against a cliff, which made it difficult for firefighters to put out the fire.

Video aired on Turkish television showed huge plumes of smoke rising into the sky with a snow-capped mountain behind the hotel.

“I heard screams around midnight, residents (of the hotel) were shouting for help,” Baris Salgur, who works at a nearby hotel, told NTV television. “They asked for a blanket, they said they were going to jump… we did what we could, we brought a rope, pillows, we brought a sofa. Some people threw themselves when the flames approached them.”

Officials said they feared the death toll could continue to rise.

The footage shows the destroyed lobby of the hotel with shards of glass on the floor, the reception desk and wooden furniture that has been burned to black.

The authorities warned that the building could collapse.

A survivor who managed to escape the flames told local media that the hotel did not sound an alarm when the fire started, complaining about the lack of any safety measures such as fire escapes or smoke detectors.

“I pray to God for mercy to our citizens who lost their lives in the fire,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on X.

He wished the injured who were affected by “this tragic accident” a speedy recovery, adding that an investigation had been launched.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said six prosecutors had been assigned to investigate the fire.

The evacuees were re-accommodated in nearby hotels.