A TOURIST leapt to his death from a Tenerife hotel balcony as a blaze ripped through the room.
The tragedy unfolded at the four-star Melia Costa in the northern port city of Puerto de la Cruz last night.
Guests comfort each other beneath blankets while they wait for the hotel to be clearedSolarpix
Guests were left standing on the street outside the Melia CostaSolarpix
The man was pronounced dead after throwing himself from a third-floor balcony, for reasons currently unknown.
It is understood he jumped from the room where the blaze started.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated, though local reports suggest it first sparked with a mattress inside the room.
Some 490 guests including numerous Brits were evacuated.
Photos from the scene show holidaymakers standing on the street in the dark after being turfed out, while firefighter rushed inside.
The double drama was confirmed by emergency services this morning.
Authorities said: “Firefighters, ambulances and police were sent to the scene and police began the evacuation of the hotel once they arrived.
“While they were there we were informed a man who turned out to be a 23-year-old client had plunged from a hotel balcony for reasons that are still being investigated.
“He was confirmed dead at the scene as a result of the injuries he suffered.
“The blaze was brought under control and put out. It affected a room which was ventilated afterwards.”
The Melia Costa hotel is yet to make any official comment,
None of the tourists evacuated were hurt and they were allowed to return to their rooms shortly after the order to leave.
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