Guest rescued from 7th floor after fire breaks out at hotel near OR Tambo airport

A hotel guest had to be rescued from the seventh floor of a hotel after a blaze broke out at the eight-storey building.

A fire broke out at the Premier Hotel, situated adjacent to OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, on Wednesday night.

According to reports, the hotel was 50% booked at the time of the fire.

Hotel fire

City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi said firefighters responded to the scene after 11pm.

“A well alight structural fire call was received via the life-threatening emergency call centre and resources were dispatched promptly for intervention.

“On arrival, the bigger part of the eight-storey hotel building was in a cloud of smoke. Firefighters assisted with the already in process evacuation procedures of guests and staff members while other firefighters commenced with the actual fire suppression activities,” Ntladi said.

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Rescue

Ntladi said flames were spotted on the seventh floor, with upper floors at risk of also being engulfed by the blaze.

“While busy with fire suppression, one guest was identified and rescued from the window balcony up on the seventh floor. Secondary search, rescue and recovery commenced, and everyone was accounted for.

“Two of the guests, a 60-year-old and a 41-year-old, were treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics and opted not to be hospitalised,” Ntladi said.

Cause of fire?

Ntladi added that the fire seemed to have started on the seventh floor, in one of the bedrooms, and spread quickly to adjacent rooms and the upper floor.

“Currently, while the investigation is still ongoing, it is alleged that an electrical short-circuit from the wall plug where the portable appliance was connected might be the cause of the fire.

“The entire hotel building was ventilated by firefighting crews using a Positive Pressure Ventilator (PPV) to clear the smoke from the building. Eleven guest rooms were identified to have had intense smoke damage,” Ntladi said.

Ntladi said further investigations into the exact cause of the fire are continuing.

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