A fire broke out at a luxury hotel in Rome early today, fire officials said. Two Canadian guests died in their room and an American jumped from his window and died.
Police questioned two Americans, who have spoken with a US consular official, a US Embassy spokesman said.
The fire broke out before dawn on the third floor of the five-star Parco dei Principi hotel near Rome's Villa Borghese park, a fire official said on condition of anonymity.
The blaze spread to other rooms on the floor and smoke billowed throughout the hotel, forcing the guests to evacuate.
The ANSA news agency quoted a third floor guest, Antonello D'Arielli, as saying he had seen the two Americans leaving room 305 where the blaze originated shortly after the fire alarm rang.
ANSA said the two had apparently returned to the hotel at around 5 a.m. and may have been drinking.