A British couple who say they were trapped on a balcony for three hours as a fire swept through their five-star hotel in Marmaris, Turkey, have described the moment they feared they would die and urged holiday companies to ensure overseas hotels meet strict fire-safety standards.
Cherie and Sean James, both 57, were asleep when other guests began shouting "fire," the couple told reporters. Thick black smoke quickly filled their top-floor room and the pair moved onto the balcony to breathe. They said no fire alarms sounded, no sprinkler system activated and there was no accessible escape down five flights to safety. The couple were later flown home early by tour operator TUI and given a refund.
"Me and my husband were saying our goodbyes to each other, certain we were going to die, and that will haunt me forever," Cherie James, from Blackwood in Caerphilly, said. She said the ordeal has left her suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and that she is receiving counselling offered by TUI. Cherie also sought medical advice after a burn became septic.
The couple said they have pressed TUI for answers about where and how the fire started but had received no detailed response. In a statement issued after the incident, TUI apologised to affected customers and said its teams worked with local authorities to support guests on the ground, offering alternative accommodation and flights home. "We would like to reassure customers that their safety is our most important priority," the company said.
Cherie said she has begun campaigning for package holiday companies to check that the hotels they sell to British tourists comply with and maintain effective fire-safety systems. "In the UK, all hotels have fire alarms which are tested regularly," she said. "But overseas, clearly it is different. When I tell people what happened to us, they say 'It's because it's Turkey' — but we booked with TUI, so why aren't they checking to make sure fire safety measures are taken and that they're working?"
Local emergency services carried out the evacuation and rescued guests from the property, the Jameses said. The incident comes amid other recent hotel fires in Mediterranean holiday destinations. On Aug. 29, a blaze in the lift machine room of the four-star Bellevue Bonita and Club Resort in Puerto de Alcudia, Majorca, prompted an evacuation and left nearly 20 people treated for smoke inhalation, according to local authorities. Initial reports from that incident said several tourists were briefly trapped in elevators before being freed.
The Jameses’ account highlights persistent safety concerns raised by some travellers over overseas accommodation and the role of tour operators in vetting properties. Tour operators typically state they work with local partners and authorities to respond to emergencies and to arrange alternative arrangements for affected customers.
TUI said it was offering counselling to customers affected by the Marmaris fire and was supporting emergency services during the response. The company did not provide further technical details about the cause of the hotel blaze or the timeline of the rescue when contacted through its statement.
The Jameses have two adult children. They said they would continue to seek clarity about the cause of the fire and greater assurance that fire alarms, sprinklers and escape routes are in working order at hotels sold to British holidaymakers.
Authorities in Turkey and the local hotel management handled the immediate emergency response. Investigations into the exact cause of the fire were conducted by local officials, and no wider criminal allegations have been reported in connection with the blaze.
The incident underlines the risks holidaymakers can face during accommodation fires, and the importance of functioning alarm systems and clear evacuation routes. It also raises questions about how tour operators monitor the safety compliance of hotels in their package offerings and how quickly they communicate details to affected customers after emergencies occur.