An English tourist, 42-year-old Steve Northrop, died as a result of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out in the boiler room of the the Halland Hotel in ta’ l-Ibragg last night, despite attempts to resuscitate him.

The fire broke out at around 9pm and created a huge column of smoke that choked a hotel shaft and the rooms which had windows facing onto it. Mr Northrop was on the highest floor, the fifth, in room 505.

Civil Protection Department personnel rushed to the scene in as many fire trucks as could be mustered. In fact, no less than nine engines were on site throughout the emergency. Paramedics were also at the scene en masse, to assist those who needed treatment for smoke inhalation and shock.

The CPD staff donned masks and protective equipment in a rush to get to a total of seven people, including a young child, who had to be rescued from where they were stranded.

The victims in question were hurried out of the hotel, wearing oxygen masks, after having been given first aid by the paramedics. Firemen brought Mr Northrop down to the hotel lobby where paramedics tried to resuscitate him.

They battled to save him for a good half-hour. However, their attempts were in vain and at around 10.30pm, Civil Protection Department chief Peter Cordina informed the press present on site that Mr Northrop had died.

“We’ve checked all the rooms to see whether there is anyone still trapped. We accompanied seven people out of the hotel apart from Mr Northrop, including a child,” Mr Cordina explained. He also said: “Mr Northrop was brought down alive, however he died as he was being given CPR. He was in Malta alone.”

As was to be expected, the emergency attracted a crowd of local people, especially due to the fact that the CPD, after having rescued seven people, insisted on returning to check for other possible victims.

Bystanders looked on as CPD officers brought out the hotel’s residents – an elderly woman, a boy and a younger woman among them. Some CPD personnel dashed back to their headquarters in squad cars to refill oxygen bottles at about 10pm. There had been another fire at the Rinella film studios yesterday morning.