A VISITOR from Dubai fled from the blazing Moat House Hotel dressed in nothing more than his underpants.

Businessman Hammed Alkaff was woken by the hotel's fire alarm and dashed into the smokelogged corridor outside his room.

Mr Alkaff then made his way through the corridors together with dozens of other guests.

But it was only when he left the building that the full horror hit home.

Speaking after the incident, he said: "I ran out straight away and I was still in my underwear.

"It was a scary moment. I feel very lucky to have escaped unharmed."

A police guard was on the door of the hotel throughout yesterday while officers interviewed guests about the incident.

Many of the guests opted for a police escort past a media scrum waiting outside the building.

Condolences

They were being led to their cars where they either went home or travelled to alternative accommodation arranged for them by Moat House bosses.

Risto Schiray, a headteacher from Finland, told the BEN he was still shaken by the incident and he expressed his condolences for the couple who died in the fire.

Mr Schiray had been staying in the hotel as a guest of Smithills School. And describing his escape, he said: "When I was running down the stairs, I was scared, but people did not know what to think because you often get false alarms.

"I am shocked and saddened that two people died."

Mr Schiray, aged 42, was due to attend a conference at the hotel yesterday but it was cancelled.

He said: "I was on the second floor of the hotel but I could tell something was wrong.

"I had the courage to put my clothes on before I ran out of my room. It was quite frightening."

Dundee City Council worker Ian Dobson was also caught up in the drama.

Mr Dobson described how he was watching football on television when the alarm went off.

He said: "I thought it was a false alarm. At first, I was a bit annoyed.

"But later I was quite disturbed about the whole thing especially when I saw the damage. I think everybody was in shock."

Mr Dobson was in Bolton for a meeting with his Bolton Council counterparts.

The 45-year-old added: "I stuck a pair of trousers, thinking I was only going to be about 10 minutes.

"I never thought it was so bad and now I'm happy that I got out alive.

"The first thing I did was tell my wife I was okay."