Aberystwyth hotel fire: Search continues for missing guest

Aerial view of Aberystwyth with fire engines damping down the hotel Image copyright Keith Morris

A search has been continuing for a missing person after a fire ripped through a four-star hotel on Aberystwyth's seafront.

Nine adults and three children were rescued after the blaze broke out at Ty Belgrave House hotel in Marine Terrace in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Firefighters are continuing to search for the adult, who is thought to be a guest at the hotel.

The crews had been unable to get access to the damaged buildings on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at about 02:00 BST on Wednesday, before spreading to nearby properties.

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Media captionDrone footage as fire crews dampen down following the Aberystwyth seafront fire

Two of the children rescued from the hotel were among five taken to hospital by emergency services, however details about their conditions have not been released.

The British Red Cross stepped in to offer support and help to the 33 people affected in the hotel fire, with clothing and toiletries provided by a local supermarket in the Ceredigion town.

Image copyright Twitter/@MAWWChrisDavies

The hotel's owner Emyr Davies said on Wednesday that the fire alarm system was "full and operational" and "seems to have worked as designed and alerted the residents" to the blaze.

Roger Thomas, assistant chief fire officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, told BBC Wales that every internal floor in the hotel had collapsed, and that made access difficult as they tried to locate the missing person.

Image copyright Ceredig Davies
Image caption Damage to the hotel was clear to see after the blaze was extinguished