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.

Desperate guests at a Turkish ski resort that exploded into flames tried to escape using bedsheets as ropes hanging from the windows, while others died after trying to jump to safety.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Local media suggested that the wooden cladding on the hotel's exterior may have accelerated the spread of the fire. View on euronews

Tuesday's fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya left at least 79 people dead and 51 injured, happening during a particularly busy season.

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.

A tragic fire has occurred at the Kartalkaya ski resort in the northwestern part of Turkey. The death toll has already risen to 76 people, including entire families and many children. A national day of mourning has been declared in the country.