24-year-old Olympic skier Berkin Usta died alongside his father, Yahya Usta, in a Thursday morning fire at a Turkish ski resort, just hours outside Istanbul.
Turkey’s sports minister Osman Askin Bak confirmed their tragic deaths in a statement on social media.
”I learned with deep sorrow that our national athlete Berkin Usta and his father, Yahya Usta, lost their lives in the fire that broke out in the hotel,” he said.
The elder Usta, who was 57, was the president of the Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers Association. The father and son were staying on the fifth floor of the Kervansaray Hotel at Uludağ mountain in the Bursa province.
Fikriye Usta, who was also staying at the ski resort with her husband and son, reportedly survived the blaze and was taken to hospital, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Additional hotel guests and staff members were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
An initial investigation into the fire discovered “many deficiencies” at the property, which did “not comply with the fire regulations,” said Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey. The manager of the hotel has since been detained by authorities, Anadolu reported.
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Berkin Usta competes in the Men’s Giant Slalom at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in 2022. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
During the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, Usta represented his native country in the slalom and giant slalom events.
“We wish God’s mercy to our national skier Berkin Usta and his father Yahya Usta, and offer our condolences to his family, loved ones and the sports community,” Team Turkey shared in a tweet.
