A fire ripped through a motel in the Jersey Shore early Friday leaving three dead and eight injured, Reuters reported.
Firefighters arrived at the Mariner's Cove Motor Inn in Point Pleasant Beach around 6 a.m. to battle the blaze. According to the Star Ledger, several motel guests were able to escape from the deadly flames.
An eyewitness said one flame quickly took over the entire building.
"Within five minutes, literally, it was in flame," said the woman -- who didn't give her name -- as she searched for friends that were staying at the motel.
Capt. Robert Dikun of the Point Pleasant Beach Police told the Ledger that eight people have been hospitalized. The injuries that were being treated resulted from jumping from the second floor, smoke inhalation, and trauma wounds. Victims were transported to to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, and a nearby urgent-care center.
Although it is estimated that about 20 people were staying at the Mariner's Cove -- mostly fishing industry workers and contractors -- the records burned in the fire, making authorities unknown of exactly how many were inside, Dikun added.
The motel is located just two blocks from the beach.
