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Hampton Beach Fire Damages Popular Oceanfront While Costa Cruise Ship Crashes in Egypt

Beach Vacations, Cruises, Natural Disasters — on February 26, 2010 1:34 pm

Fire in Hampton BeachFirefighters in New Hampshire battled a five-alarm fire last night that started at the Surf Hotel in Hampton Beach.

The blaze spread and tore through four more buildings before firefighters were able to bring it under control.

The Hampton Beach area draws a crowd every summer and tourism is an integral part of the region’s economy. Keep reading to find out more about the extent of the damage.

The fire started just after midnight and spread quickly with the help of whipping 60 mph winds. Many of the buildings that line Hampton Beach’s oceanfront strip were built with wood frames, very close to each other, which aided the spread of the inferno.

FirefightersA total of 125 firefighters from three states appeared on the scene to subdue the blaze. They initially attacked the fire from the inside, but eventually had to retreat outside because of the intensity of the flames, heavy winds, and the age of the building.

Within an hour, the fire destroyed five buildings, including the hotel, an arcade, and other seasonal businesses.

The cause is still unknown at this point, but firefighters were responding to other storm-related emergencies earlier in the evening.

According to the fire department, the block has been wiped out by fire a couple times in the past hundred years.

Find out: What to Do in Case of a Hotel Fire

Costa Cruise Ship Crashes in Egypt

Costa EuropaThree crew members were killed when the Costa Europa cruise ship collided with a pier during stormy, windy weather.

The ship was sailing on an 18-day cruise from Dubai to Savona, Italy and crashed while attempting to dock at the port of Sharm El Sheik along the Red Sea.

The crash caused significant damage to the right side of the ship, which sprung a leak. The 1,437 passengers on board were quickly removed. No passengers were killed, but a few were injured.

It is unclear exactly what caused the accident, but Costa representatives say that exceptionally bad weather and unexpected gusts of wind were the likely causes and an investigation is underway.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: Huliq, The Boston Globe, CNN, ABC News

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  • Anonymous

    Another nearby hotel, The Hampton House, sustained significant damage as the wind gusts, clocked at 94 mph, tore the roof from that building, two blocks north of the fire scene. Several other businesses in the area were also damaged.
    Summer-like crowds flocked to the beach over the weekend to view the destruction, causing July-like traffic snarls, which were further aggravated by construction on a major bridge leading into the beach area.