‘The blaze started at the very top and it just spread down…’
FIRE fighters struggled to contain a huge blaze that swept a high-rise building housing a hotel and apartments in Dublin last night.
While the building was evacuated and gardaí said there were no reports of injuries, it emerged that a 31-strong teenage dance troupe, who are finalists in Ireland’s Got Talent, had been staying at the hotel, though they were elsewhere when fire broke out.
The Cork dancers RDK, who won the public vote and went through to the live finals – plus their parents and supporters – had been booked in to stay at the hotel. But when the building was being evacuated, they were safe in the Helix for the show.
Eyewitness Danco Cojocov, from Charlestown, told the Irish Daily Mail, at the fire scene: ‘It started at the very top through one window and then just spread down. The place only got fixed up ten months ago when electricity went in.’
Within two hours the blaze had spread to about five or six floors. Eight Dublin Fire Brigade engines rushed to the scene in Ballymun on the capital’s northside following a 999 call shortly after 7.30pm. The tall building houses the Metro Hotel as well as a number of apartments.
Gardaí and fire fighters created a cordon of ambulances, Garda cars and other vehicles as they tried to get the fire under control. Bright red flames engulfed a number of floors at the top of the building as fire fighters worked, and a number of roads around the building were closed off.
Meanwhile, the teenage dancers in RDK and their parents were counting their blessings last night, and a senior show insider told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘Their belongings were in the hotel but they are just so blessed not to be there. They were literally about to go on stage when the blaze broke out.
‘We don’t know how many supporters were staying there but they are all safe. At least 15 members of the IGT crew were living out of the hotel for the duration of the live finals so they are both relieved and distraught at the news.’
Early reports suggested the hotel was being used to house homeless families. But it was later said none were there. Dublin Regional Homeless Executive tweeted: ‘There are no families in emergency accommodation in the Metro! Hopefully everyone got out safe – stay safe.’
‘Literally about to go on stage’