One dies in seaside blaze

One person has died and eight others are missing following a hotel blaze in the Cornish seaside town of Newquay.Firefighters were called to the Penhallow Hotel shortly after midnight and are currently searching the building for those who are still missing.The building has suffered major structural damage as a result of the blaze and floors have collapsed, rendering it unstable. It is high season and the hotel can accommodate up to 80 residents.Deputy chief fire officer Ted Simpson, from Cornwall County Fire Brigade, said: "It's quite a large hotel on the seafront at Newquay, four storeys."We don't really know how many people are inside at this stage. We already have reports of eight other people unaccounted for and are still trying to locate as many people as we can."Fourteen appliances from Cornwall were sent to the scene and specialist aerial ladder platforms from Devon were also being used, he said. The cause of the fire had yet to be established.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | August 18, 2007

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