New details emerge after Gold Coast Hilton Hotel catches fire
New details have emerged after a massive fire erupted at the Hilton Surfers Paradise Hotel on the Gold Coast overnight, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of guests and staff.
The blaze originated on the roof of the hotel's western tower at around 2am, with debris falling onto the second-floor restaurant area, notably affecting establishments like Steampunk Surfers Paradise.
Emergency services responded promptly, with multiple fire crews arriving to combat the flames. The Queensland Fire Department reported that the fire on the pool deck was extinguished by around 2:20am, and the roof fire was under control by 2:40am. Guests were then permitted to return to their rooms at around 3am.
Surfers Paradise resident Joevy Lyn captured dramatic footage of debris tumbling 120m from the roof to the streets below. Legendary Australian jockey Shane Dye, who was staying on the 34th floor of a neighbouring tower, witnessed the fire firsthand and told the Courier Mail: "Everything was on fire and in flames, I couldn't believe it. It was right outside my window." Dye evacuated his building amid initial confusion, saying that hotel staff were initially unaware of the severity of the situation.
Another guest, Leah Nicholson, who was staying at the Hilton with her wife and three-year-old daughter, reported not hearing any alarms but, upon contacting the front desk, was told of the fire. The family then descended 14 flights of stairs to evacuate, only hearing evacuation alarms upon reaching the ground level.
Queensland police assisted in the evacuation, and while the cause of the fire remains under investigation, a woman staying at an apartment across the road reportedly said she believed the Hilton sign had exploded.
“The H on top of the Hilton building just started to catch on fire and then it all started to explode,” the woman told 7NEWS. “Parts of it started to fall which caught … other parts of the building on fire. It was quite intense.”
Images: 7NEWS