Briton hurt in Costa del Sol blast

A British woman was in a serious condition in hospital in Spain today after a water pipe exploded at a Costa del Sol hotel.

The 50-year-old was passing the three-star Hotel Globales Cortijo Blanco in Marbella when she was injured by the blast, a member of staff said.

Hundreds of British holidaymakers were staying at the hotel, where two guests were also hurt in the incident today at about 9am.

The injured British woman was taken to the nearby Costa del Sol Hospital but was later transferred to the Carlos Haya Regional University Hospital in Malaga.

A Carlos Haya hospital spokeswoman said: "The woman was admitted to hospital in a very serious condition and was put on artificial ventilation.

"She is suffering from burns and is badly injured."

The pipe was on the outside of the hotel and the damage caused by the explosion was limited, the member of staff said.

Emergency services attended the scene and police are investigating the incident, he added.

Holidaymakers described hearing a loud bang.

Ian Cartwright, 34, from Bromley, south east London, told the Sun: "We were having breakfast when we heard a massive bang, like a bomb going off.

"Outside the hotel you could see a big hole ripped out of the wall and the pipe torn in half. There were bricks scattered across the road. You could still see blood on the floor after they had taken the injured people away."

A local council spokeswoman said: "Two people who were staying in the hotel were injured and taken to the Costa del Sol hospital."

Marbella is a popular destination for wealthy foreigners, with many British families on holiday there.