A fierce fire that broke out at a hotel in Georgia’s Black Sea resort city of Batumi, killed 11 people and injured 19, said Georgia’s interior minister, Giorgi Gakharia on Saturday.
The fire started late on Friday on one floor of the Leogrand hotel and spread quickly.
The victims all died from inhaling fumes at the 22-storey hotel, says a BBC report quoting regional health minister, Zaal Mikeladze.
Batumi is about 360 km from Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital.
The hotel has been scheduled to be a venue for the Miss Georgia beauty contest on Sunday, reports Reuters.
According to officials, no participants of the contest, who were staying at the hotel, were injured in the blaze.