
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990                   TAG: 9003023244
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAIRO, EGYPT                                 LENGTH: Short

16 KILLED IN CAIRO HOTEL FIRE

Fire broke out in a luxury hotel's tent restaurant early Thursday and wind-whipped flames leaped to the main building, killing 16 people and injuring about 70. At least one American was among the dead.

Frantic guests at the six-story Heliopolis Sheraton jumped out windows and clambered down tied-together sheets. Many of the injuries were broken bones suffered in falls.

The blaze broke out at 1 a.m. and burned for nine hours. The hotel northeast of Cairo had no fire alarms or sprinklers. Many guests heard of the fire from other guests.

Tourism Minister Fuad Sultan said the blaze started accidentally in the Nubian Tent restaurant - a cotton canvas tent attached to one of the three blocks of the T-shaped hotel.

Sparks jumped from a clay oven to the ceiling of the tent, igniting flames that quickly spread to the hotel, said Sultan.

The American who was killed was identified late Thursday as Robert D. Cresap, 67, of Houston, a retired accountant who was in Cairo with his wife, Helen. Three Americans were reported seriously injured in the fire.

by CNB