Vienna hotel evacuated after blaze

More than 200 tourists had to be evacuated from a hotel in Vienna city centre when a fire broke out in an adjacent restaurant on Saturday morning.No one was seriously injured in the incident, but an elderly couple from Germany were hospitalised over possible smoke poisoning.Fire-fighters decided to evacuate the 217 sleeping guests and staff at the Hotel Astoria after being called to extinguish the blaze at a pizzeria next door at 3am. The four-star resort is just a stone’s throw from the State Opera House and regarded as one of the most prestigious hotels in the Austrian capital.The fire – which caused severe damage to the eatery – was sparked by a malfunctioning kitchen machine, according to firemen.Most holidaymakers – looked after in buses by public transport agency Wiener Linien and the lobby of neighbouring Hotel Sacher – were allowed to return to their rooms a few hours after the incident.Fire-fighters managed to put out the blaze after around an hour. Several streets in the city centre, which were crowded by thousands of revellers, were closed down for some hours as a precaution.