Two men have narrow escape from hotel fire

TWO men had a close brush with death over the Christmas holidays after a fire trapped them on the sixth floor of their Thai hotel.

Stephen Downey and Anthony O'Neill from Pallaskenry in Limerick were holidaying in Pattaya, south east of Bangkok when a their hotel caught fire, killing three people and leaving more than 40 people hospitalised.

"There were seven of us hanging out the balcony screaming across the street to the people in the hotel opposite I thought the show was over," said Mr Downey.