FIRE has engulfed a Malaga hotel for the third time in three days as exhausted firefighters continue battling to bring the inferno under control.
Dramatic footage shows plumes of smoke billowing from Malaga’s Hotel Ibis Centro on Pasillo de la Guimbarda after the blaze reignited again at around 11.30am on Wednesday.
More than 100 guests were evacuated from the hotel in the early hours of Monday after flames tore through one of the building’s restaurants, Le Grand Café, at around 1.30am.
READ MORE: Fire guts Malaga Ibis hotel – building may collapse
The fire flared up again just hours later, raising fears the structure could collapse after four floors gave way during the raging inferno.
Fire crews were forced back into action for a third time following Wednesday’s latest outbreak, with the emergency operation now stretching into its 40th hour.
Firefighters say hidden pockets of fire buried deep inside the building are behind the latest flare-up, with strong winds believed to have reignited the blaze once again.
Emergency crews are now focused on reaching inaccessible areas inside the gutted hotel where embers are still burning, amid fears further outbreaks could follow.
Officials warned the operation could continue for several more days as teams work to cool the structure and assess the extent of the damage.
The fire is thought to have spread rapidly due to wooden interiors and insulation materials inside Le Grand Café, which helped fuel the inferno through multiple floors.
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