Olympic Skier Berkin Usta and Father Killed in Fire at Closed Turkish Ski Resort

The fire at the Kervansaray Hotel, which had been shut down for safety violations, has prompted investigations into regulatory failures and accountability.

Berkin Usta, a 24-year-old Olympic alpine skier who represented Turkey at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and his father, Yahya Usta, died in a fire on March 27, 2025, at the Kervansaray Hotel in Uludag, Turkey.
The Kervansaray Hotel had been closed since January 2025 after its accommodation permit was revoked due to safety violations, raising questions about why the Usta family and staff were present at the time of the fire.
Authorities have detained the hotel manager as part of an ongoing investigation, with initial findings pointing to significant safety deficiencies and non-compliance with fire regulations.
The fire, which started in the hotel's cafeteria around 5:30 a.m., was extinguished within two hours, but the upper floors were severely damaged, and several individuals were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
This tragedy follows a January 2025 fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel that claimed 79 lives, intensifying scrutiny of fire safety standards at Turkish ski resorts.