Olympic skier Berkin Usta and his father died in fire at an already shut ski-resort in Turkey.
The Winter Olympian, who turned a day older on Thursday, and his father Yahya, 57, were killed in fire that broke out on Thursday at the Kervansaray hotel.
Berkin represented Turkey at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, finishing 43rd in the giant slalom, while his father was the president of the Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers Association.
“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,” Team Turkey posted on X.
The ski resort had 12 members when the fire broke out at 05:30 am. A host of these members were admitted after smoke inhalation.
The 30-year-hotel was shut in January when its accommodation permission was cancelled.
“We have learned about the tragic death of Turkish Olympic skier Berkin Usta, and his father, in a terrible fire,” said the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach.
“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.”
Those in the know, said that the fire quickly engulfed the six-storey resort.
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