Huge blaze rips through hotel housing Ukrainian refugees
Ukrainian refugees were evacuated from the hotel after the blaze broke out
PA
A huge blaze ripped through a 400 year old hotel housing Ukrainian refugees in the early hours of this morning.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services rushed to the Angel Inn hotel in Midhurst shortly after 1am.
A fire broke out at a property on North Street before spreading to the roof of the hotel next door.
Shortly after 6am the fire service said the incident had “escalated” and 14 fire engines were on the scene tackling the blaze.
The fire broke out shortly after 1am
PA
More than 30 people, including children, were evacuated from the hotel according to onlookers.
“There were a number of Ukrainian refugees in the hotel, which had around 15 rooms,” said local resident Hilton Holloway.
“I spoke to one young woman who seemed relatively calm.”
No series casualties were reported following the evacuation.
Fire fighters battled to get the blaze under control
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There were 14 fire engines on the scene to deal with the incident
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West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services said they were "working hard to bring the fire under control".
Sussex Police have implemented a cordon around the area, with roads closed while the emergency services deal with the fire.
Sussex Fire and Rescue Services area manager Richard Abbot said it was " too early in the incident to know the cause of the fire, however we will be investigating as soon as it is safe to do so".
Four people were treated for injuries
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A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said that four people were treated at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
He said: “I can confirm ambulance crews, including our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) attended the scene alongside fellow emergency services.
“Four people were treated and all were discharged at the scene. While the majority of our resources have left the scene, a small number remain to support the fire service.”