People have been trapped in balconies and the roof top of Athenaeum Palace Hotel where a fire broke out at 11:40 noon on Thursday. Strong firefighter forces rushed to the hotel on Syggrou Avenue in the district of Neos Kosmos in south Athens.
The firefighters are reportedly operating on two fronts: to limit and extinguish the blaze and to evacuate the people inside the 7–storey building.
So far, a total of 6 people have been evacuated, five were taken to hospital with respiratory problems.
Two women were evacuated, one from a balcony and another from the stairway.
One of the rescued women was taken to hospital for preventive reasons.
The fire reportedly broke out in a room of the 6th floor and spread up to the 7th.
State-broadcaster ERT reported that several hotel employees seem to have been slightly injured and some are suffering from respiratory problems.
According to ANT1 some hotel guests managed to quickly leave the hotel and thus in their pajamas.
It is currently not known how many people are still trapped in the building.
The Fire Service is operating with 12 trucks and 35 firefighters.
UPDATE:
The Fire Service evacuated a total of 20 people. One 24-year-old woman has been intubated, two are seriously injured.
The fire broke out in the first floor of the hotel where there is a small kitchen and rooms, the fire service said.
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