A fire severely damaged the 13-story Deborah Hotel on Ben Yehuda St. this afternoon. The Tel Aviv fire brigade, aided by fire companies from Holon and Ramat Gan and an army fire-fighting unit, battled the blaze until after dark and managed, with the assistance of police, to evacuate all guests and staff safely.
No casualties were reported but firemen and police were searching the charred rooms and corridors this evening for possible victims. The Deborah is patronized by ultra-Orthodox Jews. Most of the guests were elderly and had to be carried from the flaming, smoke-filled building.
The fire broke out on the third floor and spread rapidly through air conditioning ducts. Electric power was shut off but firemen were able to reach the roof with a newly acquired hydraulic ladder and sprayed the upper floors with water. The ladder was credited with preventing the total destruction of the building.
Thousands of people who saw flames and smoke rising from the hotel, two blocks from the beach front, converged on the scene blocking access by fire engines, ambulances and police cars. Ben Yehuda St., a major thorough fare, was closed to traffic but the throngs of spectators made the job of the firemen more difficult. Tel Aviv Police Chief K. Tyomkin praised the fire brigades and police for an out-standing job under adverse conditions. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were not immediately known.
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