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Local Students Escape Hotel Fire In Mexico

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Local Students Escape Hotel Fire In Mexico

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― A group of local college students vacationing in Acapulco for spring break narrowly escaped a hotel fire at the Best Western Playa Suites.

CBS 3's Elizabeth Hur was at Philadelphia International to talk to some of the students as they returned home.

The parents of the students waited anxiously at the airport terminal for their children to return home safely.

When the students finally arrived they were met with embrace and applause.

"It was just unbelievable. We are all lucky. We went up to get our luggage later on and the smell was just horrible," said Penn State student Joseph Mitzak.

"We didn't know what to do. We ran to the balcony to get air, grabbed our stuff and ran downstairs," said Penn State student Stephanie Gironda.

Authorities said the fire remains under investigation and nobody was seriously injured.

"I couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. My lungs still hurt, I am going to the doctor right now," said Brittany Porcek of Penn State.

Many parents booked the trips through studentcity.com, and now they are determined to get answers.

"We're going to do everything we need to do to see this through because it could have been a totally different story, said mother Janice Porcek.

A spokesman for studentcity.com said the organization's priority is the safety of the students. He said they are currently investigating allegations of non-working fire-alarms at the hotel.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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