Honeymoon couple's hotel shook by missile strike

Stewart WhittinghamNorth West
News imageBBC Layla Hamood and her husband Matty McGinn, both wearing white T-shirts speak to the BBC from their hotel bedroomBBC
Layla Hamood and Matty McGinn are on honeymoon in Dubai

A couple on honeymoon in Dubai have told how their hotel shook when it was hit by a missile strike.

Matthew McGinn and Layla Hamood, from Liverpool, were on holiday with their son when the Fairmont Palm Hotel was hit in the ongoing Middle East conflict.

He told BBC Breakfast: "The room shook and there was a big flash as the flames came up.

"We are on the sixth floor and there was a pretty bad shake."

Matthew added: "The flames came right up - it happened so quick with the flash.

"I go into the bathroom and say we need to get out of the hotel as it's just been hit.

"We didn't know what to do but thought we needed to follow our head."

He said they were now "all safe" and looking for flights home, for which they would have to wait for the airspace to open.

Dubai International Airport has been damaged in an "incident" which injured four staff, according to authorities, with thousands of flights grounded.

News imageLayla Hamood Flames engulf the car park and the area around the couple's hotel in DubaiLayla Hamood
The Liverpool family's hotel was surrounded by flames in the missile strike

Layla said they had played on the beach during the day before the attack.

She added: "We were having a great day and the boys were playing football on the beach.

"Then we heard a big bang. We just looked at each other and said 'that's a bomb'.

"We looked at each other and saw missiles flying across.

"We didn't know anything was happening because we are on our honeymoon.

"Then we saw lots of missiles flying across."

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