Hundreds of people had to be evacuated in London late on Friday 15th April after a fire broke out in a hotel, while three men had to be rescued and required treatment after becoming trapped in the blaze. Guests and staff at the Pembridge Palace Hotel in Bayswater in West London saw scores of firefighters attend the dramatic scene, which began in the basement of the building.

It was 11:06pm on Friday night when London Fire Brigade were called to the blaze at the five-storey hotel, which is situated in Princes Square. Eight fire engines carrying a total of fifty-eight firefighters arrived on the scene to clear the hotel of people and deal with the fire before it could spread to nearby properties.

Two hundred people had already left the hotel prior to the arrival of the fire crews, clearly aware of fire safety procedures. However, firefighters had to rescue three men who were trapped on the first and second floor with the aid of breathing apparatus, according to a spokesman. Ambulances took the men to hospital to receive medical treatment for smoke inhalation.

An aerial ladder platform was used by crews from North Kensington, Hammersmith, West Hampstead, Paddington and Soho fire stations as an observation tower in order to supervise the firefighting effort. London Fire Brigade says that the fire was finally brought under control at about 1:56 am on early Saturday morning. Investigations are still ongoing as to the cause of the blaze.

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