Missionaries flee hotel: ‘The room began to feel hot’

A missionary who writes for en is giving thanks to God after he and his family ran for their lives when a skyscraper inferno threatened to overcome their hotel room, in ‘a traumatic and unforgettable’ night in Hong Kong.

Reuben and Cathy Saywell and their three young sons were spending their first night in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, opposite a skyscraper construction site. Reuben had an upcoming preaching engagement at the International Baptist Church of Hong Kong (the church where Cathy was raised).

In an update on Facebook, Reuben writes: ‘Just before midnight, I began hearing loud cracking noises, which at first sounded like a nearby fireworks display. Cathy and the boys somehow managed to sleep through it all, and I was too preoccupied with my sermon study to think anything of it.

‘After an hour, an orange glow lit up the bedroom wall, the room began to feel hot, and the noise grew louder. At last, I went to the window, opened the curtains, and there it was … a 48-story skyscraper engulfed in bright orange flames! Burning debris and sparks flying. I rushed to the hallway to find panicked guests evacuating. I ran back to wake Cathy: “Don’t panic, but we need to leave immediately!”

‘She looked behind in disbelief. The strong wind was literally putting our hotel in the firing line. With arrow prayers flying, we grabbed the boys and the first couple of bags within reach, and rushed to the emergency exit – the boys disoriented and still half-asleep.’

No fire alarms were going off in the hotel and Reuben noted the ‘apparently carefree attitude of the hotel manager who had checked us in a few hours earlier’. ‘Sir, please go back to your room and sleep. I think it’s under control,’ he said.

‘Not a risk I was willing to take’ writes Reuben. ‘We turned, leaving almost all of our belongings behind, and began to spiral down the 16 floors to the ground floor, and then finally into the noisy city streets.

‘Sparks and debris from the building still raining down and dropping all around us. Fire engines, ambulances, and rescue teams everywhere, working with speed and efficiency.

‘We were ushered down the road, all in our pyjamas, where we now desperately searched for somewhere warm to shelter, far from the danger zone.’ By now, it was 1:20am and everything was closed and all the roads were being cordoned off with police tape.

After a long search, they found somewhere to stay for 90 minutes, but though they had their phones, they had no data. A passer-by lent them his phone.

Reuben continues the tale: ‘The only number we had saved was the one that had been emailed to us by one of the church deacons at International Baptist Church of Hong Kong (where I’m due to preach on Sunday) who had said “if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

‘I don’t think an escape from a nearby towering inferno was quite what he had in mind.’

By 4:40am a nearby hotel had been found that would take them in. ‘Still in shock, but filled with thankfulness that God in his mercy, powerfully intervened, protecting and preserving us from disaster, and providing us with a place to stay on the other side of Hong Kong at the kindness of a dear family friend.’

Earlier, Reuben was also able to return to their hotel (‘still surrounded by firefighters and news crews’) to collect their passports and belongings. He said: ‘All was exactly where we had left it, and untouched by the fire. Without a doubt, we have a great and loving God!’

The fire was eventually put out at 8.30am – nine hours after it began.

The Saywells have been missionaries in the Philippines since 2021 and write the ‘Letter from the Philippines’ news articles for en.