Five people have died in a fire at an unlicensed hostel in southern Poland, DPA reported, citing local authorities.
Twelve people were rescued from the burning building in the small town of Pszow in the Silesian Voivodeship. The fire has now been extinguished.
The fire alarm at the hostel was raised late last night.
"When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the entire two-story building and its ceiling in flames," a fire department spokesman said. He suggested that the fire spread very quickly, which is probably why five people were unable to get out in time.
A total of 120 firefighters with 34 emergency vehicles were sent to the scene of the fire, a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior said.
The hostel was housing construction workers, Polish television station "TVN 24" reported. According to authorities, the hostel operator did not have a license to operate.