Fire engulfs 400-year-old Angel Inn hotel, displacing Ukrainian refugees in Midhurst
Description
A devastating blaze has engulfed a historic 400-year-old hotel in Midhurst, which was providing shelter for Ukrainian refugees. The fire began in a property on North Street before spreading to the roof of the Angel Inn hotel next door. More than 30 people, including several Ukrainian refugees, were safely evacuated, and no injuries have been reported. Local resident David Behan, who witnessed the blaze, revealed that the refugees spent the night in a nearby Indian restaurant before being taken to a leisure center and relocated to new accommodations. Midhurst Town Council set up a nearby donation point to help those impacted by the fire, and the response from the local community was overwhelming, with donations pouring in within hours of its opening. The council expressed gratitude for the "generosity and keenness to help" shown by the community. The Angel Inn, which has been owned by the same family for at least two generations, has been an integral part of the community and will be sorely missed. Hilton Holloway, another local resident, noted that the hotel had around 15 rooms and several children were among those evacuated. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and road closures are currently in place. Firefighters, police, and paramedics remain on the scene.
My Thoughts
The loss of this historic landmark and the impact on the displaced refugees is tragic, and our thoughts go out to all those affected by this devastating event. We should take sufficient actions to keep ourselves safe. Therefore, safety apps like POTP can play an enormous role in establishing an alarm system. Installing it on our smartphones can warn the monitoring unit, which can arrange safety measures to save people from fire or other such disasters.
