Polish ‘escape room’ fire victims could have lived

Five teenage girls killed by a fire in an “escape room” attraction in Poland might have survived if there had been a proper evacuation route, a senior firefighter said yesterday.

In “escape rooms”, participants are locked in a room and race against the clock to solve puzzles and challenges to open a way out. The girls killed in Koszalin, in northern Poland, on Friday were taking part in a birthday treat. One other person was being treated for burns.