Updated at 5.15pm

A fire broke out at the spa of the Qawra Palace Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed.

The fire began inside the hotel spa's Turkish bath facility, sources said. 

Six fire trucks, two ambulances and a Mater Dei Hospital major incident support unit were dispatched to the site after a fire report was lodged at around 1.45pm.

Two further fire engines reached the site some time later. 

Emergency rescue crews who entered the hotel found smoke filling the reception, and worked quickly to evacuate hotel guests and staff members. 

An estimated 21 people who were inside the hotel, as well as one member of the Civil Protection Department, received first aid treatment for smoke inhalation. They were subsequently taken to a nearby restaurant to gather their breath. 

A number of streets in the area were closed off to traffic by emergency services.

Magistrate Simone Grech was informed of the incident but is unlikely to launch a magisterial inquiry as foul play is not suspected, the police told Times of Malta.

A hotel representative told Times of Malta at around 5pm that operations were returning to normal. 

"The hotel is preparing for dinner for the residents as we speak," they said. 

It was the second major fire CPD officials had to manage in the space of a few hours: earlier in the day, firefighters worked for several hours to put out a large fire inside a Marsa warehouse generally used to house carnival floats.

Do you have photos of the incident? Email us on mynews@timesofmalta.com