1 week Ago By Evening Standard
British skiers were among 500 people ordered to evacuate a French ski resort hotel after a fire tore through the building in the middle of the night. More than 40 fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze at the Club MMV Aime in La Plagneon on Tuesday morning. Officials said that 484 people were evacuated from the four-star hotel, with only four admitted to hospital for “smoke poisoning”.
The fire began on the hotel’s facade at around 2.45am and spread to the roof, police confirmed. Around 90 firefighters were deployed to the scene and battled to stop the fire spreading to the adjoining complex.
Guests woke up to the smell of smoke in their rooms and were escorted out of the building within 15 minutes. The fire was extinguished by 4:30pm. There were no deaths or serious injuries.
Paul Tucker, 76, a Briton who was sleeping in the vicinity at the time of the fire, told The Telegraph : “People were hurrying but they weren’t panicking.” Jennifer Tsang, a local mother who helped with the rescue effort, said guests fled the building in their pyjamas. Paul Tucker She said: “They had to run to the sports centre (where guests and staff were sheltered) in their bare feet.
” Others were left shivering in the freezing cold with “no coats”, with some guests reportedly losing "everything" to the flames. Everyone who lost their housing is expected to be rehoused by Wednesday afternoon, according to the local authorities. Jean Luc Boch, the Mayor of La Plagne, said: “We have set up a system of accommodation in the various residences of the Plagne resort and even in other resorts.
” The Foreign Office said it was aware of the fire on its travel advice page, with its statement reading: "If you are in the area or planning to travel to the area, follow the advice of local authorities and check your tour operator’s advice." Dame Menna Rawlings, the British ambassador to France and Monaco, posted on X: “Thank you to everyone who supported British holidaymakers and ensured that the fire at the La Plagne hotel did not become a human tragedy but rather a demonstration of working together to save lives and care for others.” The cause of the fire, which damaged three-quarters of the building but resulted in no fatalities, remains unknown.
‘An investigation is under way to determine this,” said Captain Cosney Bertrand, of the Albertville gendarmerie. La Plagne, part of the larger Paradiski ski area, is one of the most popular resorts in the French Alps . Each year, La Plagne welcomes more than 2.
6 million holidaymakers making it the most visited ski area on the planet..
