Fire razes hotel

DENPASAR, Bali: Fire razed part of the luxurious Club Mediterranee Hotel in Nusa Dua, some 30 kilometers south of here, on Thursday night. No fatalities were reported.

Bali Police spokesman Supt. Y Suyatmo confirmed the fire on Friday, and said that the fire destroyed the Banyan Spa building and an indoor sport hall where squash, basketball, tennis and badminton courts are.

The fire, which broke out at 10:00 p.m local time, also ruined the roof of Cafe Gong, adjacent to the Club Mediterranee compound, he said. "We have yet to determine the cause of the fire."

The 402-room five star hotel, popularly known as Club Med, had some 700 guests when the fire took place, a hotel employee, who asked for anonymity, said. "They were not affected by the fire and there were no requests for early check-out."

"The electricity went out intermittently for a few minutes before the fire started," he said.(zen)