Blaze
claims Lightning Ridge hotel
Monday, 24 April 2006. A landmark hotel in Lightning
Ridge, in western New South Wales, has been destroyed
by fire.
Fire crews were called to the Diggers Rest Hotel
on the corner of Morilla and Opal streets at 11:30
AEST last night.
At the peak of the blaze, 30 firefighters were needed
to combat the flames as the pub collapsed and gas
cylinders in the cellar started to explode.
There are no reports of injury and investigators
will arrive at the scene today.
Local resident Herman Kriller says it is the second
time the pub has burnt down and it is a tragic loss
for the town.
"It's so sad to finally see it go down and the noise
was horrifying as it was collapsing, it was a pretty
big building, I'm all choked up here, it was a pretty
big building in the middle of town and we are going
to miss it rather tragically," he said.
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