At least 10 people were killed and 32 others were injured on Tuesday after a fire at a hotel at a skiing resort in western Turkey, the authorities said.

The fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Bolu Province took place over the winter break for schools across the country, a time when families flock to skiing resorts and other vacation spots.

Rescuers were still searching the hotel for survivors, raising the possibility that the death toll could increase, the broadcaster NTV said.

The fire started at around 3:30 a.m. local time, when most occupants were asleep, according to news reports. In an effort to evacuate, some occupants strung bedsheets together to make a rope that they used to descend to a lower floor, video footage showed.

The cause of the fire was unclear.

Television footage showed smoke billowing from a building framed by snow-topped mountains. Dozens of rescuers and fire trucks were dispatched to the area from surrounding towns.