At least two people were killed in a fire at a ski resort in northwestern Turkey, local authorities said on Thursday.

A fire broke out early Thursday at a hotel in the Uludağ ski resort area in Bursa province, the governor’s office said in a statement.

Two people died while 10 others inside the building were rescued, said the statement.

The hotel, lacking a tourism license, was shut down in January, it added.

State news agency Anadolu identified the two victims as former Olympic skier Berkin Usta, 24, and his father Yahya.

Mr Berkin competed in the men’s giant slalom event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and placed 43rd.

Emergency teams contained the blaze while a public investigation was launched into the incident, said Anadolu.

Turkey has a bleak record of building safety measures.

A total of 78 people were killed in a devastating fire at a ski hotel in the north-western city of Bolu in January.

Authorities issued an arrest warrant for six suspects related to the Bolu fire, the government said on Thursday.

Twenty are already in custody in the same investigation. 

(dpa/NAN)