A woman and her husband faced a terrifying ordeal when a fire broke out in their top-floor hotel room during a holiday in Marmaris. Cherie James and her husband, Sean, woke to screams of ‘fire’ and were forced onto the balcony to escape the thick smoke, waiting for three hours until they were rescued.
Cherie, haunted by the experience, is urging holiday companies to ensure fire safety compliance in all hotels for British tourists. She recounted the lack of functioning fire alarms and sprinkler systems, with no clear escape route, leading them to believe they were facing imminent death.
Reflecting on the incident, Cherie expressed the trauma of saying goodbye to her husband, convinced they would not survive. This experience has left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ongoing medical issues, prompting her call for stricter fire safety measures in all accommodations.
Despite being flown back home by TUI and receiving a refund, Cherie remains dissatisfied with the lack of response from the holiday company regarding the fire’s cause. She emphasized the need for tour operators to prioritize guest safety and ensure proper fire safety protocols are in place at all destinations.
Cherie’s advocacy for enhanced fire safety standards is supported by legal experts at Slater and Gordon, emphasizing the critical importance of ensuring the well-being of holidaymakers. They stress the necessity for robust safety systems in overseas accommodations to prevent such traumatic incidents from recurring.
TUI issued an apology following the incident, highlighting their efforts to assist affected customers and prioritize safety. However, Cherie’s experience has underscored the need for greater vigilance and accountability in ensuring fire safety measures are consistently enforced by all tour operators worldwide.
