NEWS Gas scare has hotel guests on the street

GUESTS were evacuated from the infamous Argus Apartments last night after an attempted gas explosion.

Around 5.30am guests vacated apartments after a man unscrewed the complex’s gas bottles.

Adelaide tourist Tash said guests were more sleepy than scared.

“It was a bit of a shock waking up in the morning to the alarm,” she said.

“We were all just tired, we’d gone down the stairs and everyone was still asleep.

“We were hoping it was a false alarm. I asked one old guy, a caretaker who said a man has gone through and turned all the gas bottles on. You could smell the gas.

“Everyone lined up to go back into the lift and the smell of the gas was really bad. Even when we left it was still there.”

She said guests were gathered further down the street where they could hear the offender screaming in a paddy wagon.

“He was coco loco, not just a normal, average guy,” she said.

It wasn’t the first disturbance at the apartment block yesterday morning.

Police were called to break up a fight in another room.

“Coming up there were officers and paramedics in the room that had the fights,” she said. “We got home at 1am so we were oblivious.”

She said while her stay was mostly pleasant, she might look for a more quiet spot next time .

“What a weird hotel,” she said.

“Darwin is strange in its own little way, anyway.”

NT Police were contacted for comment.