Costa hotel explosion horror as dozens evacuated and smoke visible for miles
Part of the fifth floor of the four-star Olas Hotel in the Costa Tropical resort of Almunecar, around 50 miles east of Malaga, was badly damaged in the blast, which left one man injured.
The hotel was 60% full with guests arriving for the start of Easter break when the blast occurred. The chaos unfolded as workers from energy firm Repsol were refilling fuel tanks for the establishment’s boiler on the building's terrace.
Flames quickly engulfed the top level with a massive plume of smoke rising from the hotel visible from several miles away. Emergency responders raced to the scene before evacuating holidaymakers as fire crews tackled the blaze.
"The injured person was the individual who was refilling the boiler with gas in the laundry room on the fifth floor. He suffered head injuries. The incident caused material damage to the top floor of the building and led to the precautionary evacuation of guests."
Local mayor Juan Jose Ruiz Joya said it was a "miracle" none of the 44 guests affected were killed or injured. He said: "The area most affected was unoccupied at the time, which prevented a greater tragedy. We should be relieved nothing serious happened despite the explosion, which was quite powerful.
By Zahra Khaliq, News Reporter, Natalia Penza, News Correspondent