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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Popular hotel in Jamaica capital evacuated after fire breaks out; no injuries reported

By: The Associated Press

Posted: 03/14/2013 9:28 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 03/14/2013 1:12 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica - A popular hotel in Jamaica's capital was evacuated early Thursday after a fire engulfed sections of the building. Authorities said two firefighters were treated for burns but no guests or employees were injured.

Jamaica's emergency management office said the blaze started shortly after midnight in the kitchen and ballrooms areas of the Wyndham Hotel in New Kingston, the Jamaican capital's financial district. It's among several major hotels in the area that cater to business travellers and tourists.

Guests were taken to another hotel down the street as firefighters battled what emergency officials called a "major fire." The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

By late Thursday morning, only thin wisps of smoke were visible as the Jamaica Fire Brigade continued to douse the hotel's first floor with water. Police cordoned off nearby roads.

Tourists gathered outside the hotel hoping to collect their belongings from upstairs rooms. The lobby was covered with soot and ash.

Dawn Satchell, a tourist from Brooklyn, New York, said she was preparing for bed when she heard a loud boom. She ran to her room's window on the sixth floor to see clouds of smoke rising.

"It took me less than a minute to get out of this hotel. Just left everything behind. I didn't wait for anyone to tell me to leave, was very focused on getting out fast," Satchell said as she waited for personnel to retrieve her luggage.

Hotel managers could not immediately say how many guests were staying at the hotel when the fire started.

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