FIRE IN BERLIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22193, 21 August 1935, Page 11

FIRE IN BERLIN

RADIO EXHIBITION DRAMATIC RESCUE SCENES DINERS TRAPPED IN TOWER RAPID SPREAD OF FLAMES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright BERLIN, Aus. 19 A disastrous fire broke out at 10.30 p.m. in one of the great wooden buildings housing the Radio Exhibition. The flames rapidly spread to the other halls, destroying all of them within an hour. It is believed that the fire originated in the television section, where it destroyed many valuable instruments. The flames spread so rapidly that a number of people dining were temporarily trapped on the platform restaurant 200 ft. up on a gigantic radio tower which provided a famous panorama of Berlin. Guests and waiters were seen trying to descend the staircase when the lifts had been destroyed, but they were driven back by the flameii, and red-hot steel. The hall in which the fire broke out is believed to have been empty. Thousands of people quickly escaped from the other halls. About 30,000 had visited the exhibition earlier in the day. Although the fire broke out half an hour after the closing of the main hall many people were still within the adjacent halls. Police and firemen flung open the doors and hastened everyone to safety. The flames were leaping 150 ft. high a few secondfi later. Firemen, using slings and rope ladders, rescued those entrapped in the tower, giving precedence to the women. The last eight men rescued were slightly burned. Hundreds of police and Storm Troopers restrained the huge crowd of anxious watchers. Dr. Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, helped to direct the operations. Three of the seven halls were reduced to ruins and the estimated damage is £500,000. Herr Hitler was informed of the fire and an inquiry was ordered.