27 guests rescued from the balconies of a burning hotel in Tyrol

When a hotel in Kirchberg in Tyrol, Austria, caught fire on Saturday, 27 hotel guests were rescued from balconies using ladders and a turntable ladder. Six guests were taken to hospital with suspected smoke poisoning and another holidaymaker went to hospital on his own.

According to police, one firefighter suffered burns and the four employees at the hotel were unharmed. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were initially unknown.

The fire broke out in a room around 1 a.m. and spread quickly. The heavy smoke made it impossible for hotel guests to escape via the stairwell.

While the fire brigade carried out the first extinguishing actions via the main entrance, the holidaymakers who had fled to the balconies were simultaneously brought to safety. To ensure that no one was left in the building, the security forces identified all those rescued and the fire brigade searched the fire brigade. The community organized the housing of all guests in emergency accommodation.

According to the police, the damage to the building is extensive. The emergency services were on site with a large contingent. The municipal road was closed while the fire was extinguished. (yam/sda/apa)