Residents at fire ravaged hotel claim blaze 'started in leisure centre'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Guests staying at the Lanarkshire hotel ravaged by fire today have claimed the blaze took hold within the premises leisure centre.

Eddie Laverock and Eleanor Jenkins, of Inverness, had been booked into the hotel for a two-night break and were staying in a room next to the leisure facility.The pair say they could "see the fire" coming from the health suite as they were being safely evacuated just after 7am this morning.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Eddie told Lanarkshire Live : "We were staying there for two nights.

We've come down from Inverness. "We heard the fire alarm going off at 7.20am but initially thought someone had been smoking."You could see the fire was coming from the leisure centre area as that's where our room was next too.Eleanor added: "The hotel owner told us to go up to Gouldings Garden Centre where got something to eat and trhey have been keeping us updated."It's the staff I feel for."Ten fire appliances are at the scene battling the blaze this morning, with police, who have closed off roads in the area, also in attendance.Four ambulance crews are also on standby in a nearby car park.An incident area has also been set up for staff and guests.