12 dead in hotel fire in Georgia’s Batumi

BATUMI

A fire at a luxury hotel in the Georgian Black Sea resort city of Batumi left 12 people dead and a dozen others injured, officials said on Nov. 25.

The fire erupted late on Nov. 24 at the 22-storey Leogrand Hotel, where participants in the Miss Georgia 2017 beauty pageant were having dinner. All 20 participants escaped unhurt using a fire escape ladder, officials said.

More than 100 guests and employees were evacuated after the fire, of which the cause remains unknown.

The hotel is owned by Turkish businessman Erol Avgören, according to Doğan News Agency.

There were three Turks and an Israeli among the wounded, Batumi University Hospital spokesperson said.

"Sixteen fire engines and 100 firefighters were sent ... The fire has now been extinguished," the regional interior ministry said in a statement.