PORTO ALEGRE, BR – A devastating fire engulfed a small hotel in Porto Alegre, Brazil, resulting in the death of at least 10 individuals and injuring 11 others, according to local authorities. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning in a three-story building known for providing affordable accommodation to single occupants.
The fire department of Rio Grande do Sul state confirmed the incident, noting that the building lacked proper licensing and did not have an established emergency fire plan. A survivor of the incident recounted his harrowing experience to local media, describing his escape from his room around 2 a.m., narrowly avoiding the encroaching flames.
Marcelo Wagner Schelech, a 56-year-old resident, managed to flee the building wearing only flip-flops. However, his sister, who resided on the third floor, was not as fortunate and perished in the fire.
Local authorities reported that nine out of the 11 rescued individuals were hospitalized, with five in critical condition. Porto Alegre Mayor, Sebastião Melo, expressed his concern over the incident on social media and assured that he is closely monitoring the investigation.
The hotel, known as Garoa Floresta, is part of the Garoa group, which operates at least 10 small hotels in Porto Alegre. This is not the first fire-related incident associated with the group. In 2022, a similar incident occurred in one of their hotels, resulting in one death and 11 injuries.