Overview

• Berkin Usta, a 25-year-old Olympic skier who competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and his father, Yahya Usta, died in a fire on March 27, 2025.
• The fire occurred at the abandoned Kervansaray Hotel in Uludag, northwest Turkey, which had been closed months earlier due to safety violations.
• Investigations are ongoing into how the unsafe facility was being used at the time of the tragedy and the circumstances surrounding the fire’s rapid spread.
• The fire reportedly started from sparks caused by a barbecue grill igniting a piece of plastic, leaving no chance for escape.
• The global skiing community is mourning the loss of Berkin Usta, a rising star in alpine skiing, and Yahya Usta, a respected figure in Turkish skiing leadership.