Residents evacuated from city centre apartment block after fire breaks out

Eighty people were evacuated from an apartment block in Belfast city centre after a fire broke out at the property in the early hours of this morning.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Apr 2019, 08:27 BST
Updated 3rd Apr 2019, 10:32 BST
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Two people were taken to hospital for treatment following the incident at the six-storey building on Great Victoria Street.

More than 50 firefighters were tasked to the scene shorty after 2am after a blaze started on the first floor of the property.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Fire crews were tasked to the apartment block at 97 Great Victoria Street in the centre of Belfast shortly after 2am. Photo David McCormick/Pacemaker PressFire crews were tasked to the apartment block at 97 Great Victoria Street in the centre of Belfast shortly after 2am. Photo David McCormick/Pacemaker Press
Fire crews were tasked to the apartment block at 97 Great Victoria Street in the centre of Belfast shortly after 2am. Photo David McCormick/Pacemaker Press
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A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said: “We received a call at 02.10am this morning to attend a fire in 97 Great Victoria Street, Belfast.

“In total eight fire appliances and 55 firefighters from Central, Cadogan, Springfield, Westland and Lisburn were involved in tackling the blaze that started on the first floor.

“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using firefighting jets and searched the six floor premises. All 80 occupants were safely evacuated following extensive smoke spread.

“NIFRS worked alongside Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Belfast City Council to relocate occupants to nearby community centre until the incident was dealt with.

“The incident has now been scaled down and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.”

Related topics:ResidentsBelfast