Health and safety group forced to flee hotel fire

UP to 85 people were evacuated from Patrick Punches Hotel in Limerick yesterday after a fire broke out in the basement.

Some of those who had to leave the building were attending a health and safety conference organised by Limerick County Council.

The hotel reopened for business some hours later.

The fire broke out shortly after 10am in the hotel’s gas-powered heating system. Nobody was injured.

Three units of Limerick city fire brigade backed up by one unit from Rathkeale were tasked to the scene.

James Kerins, station officer at Limerick fire service, said: “The generator unit was destroyed and there was a lot of debris.”

After an assessment, the hotel reopened.

The group attending a health and safety conference were forced to flee.

One said: “I thought when the fire alarm sounded it was part of the health and safety course, and we evacuated.”