Facade of landmark Belfast building inspected after blaze
The five-storey Primark store was engulfed in one of the biggest fires witnessed in the city in years.
Firefighters and engineers are inspecting the charred facade of a landmark Belfast building following the collapse of the internal floors in a devastating fire.
Crews continued to battle overnight to douse the smouldering shell of the Bank Buildings after Tuesday’s inferno.
The five-storey Primark store was engulfed in one of the biggest fires witnessed in the city in years.
Internal floors have collapsed in on each other, leaving just the sandstone facade standing.
Doubts remain over the structural integrity of the building, though there are hopes the shell could be saved.
A main section of the city centre remains sealed off to allow for detailed structural assessments throughout Wednesday.
Assistant chief fire and rescue officer Michael Graham told the Press Association the firefighting operation had been “scaled back” to six fire appliances from the 14 used by 100 crew at the height of Tuesday’s blaze.
“We are currently assessing the situation with structural engineers,” he added.
“There has been constant collapsing within the building and currently we are assessing the external facade to see what that looks like and how secure it is.”
The chief executive of Primark, Paul Marchant, has expressed shock and sadness at the fire and moved to reassure the 300-plus workforce that have been gravely impacted, saying he will ensure they are “fully supported”.
The building, which has been in the heart of Belfast’s shopping district since 1787, had recently undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment.
Primark customers and staff were evacuated from the building at around 11am on Tuesday after smoke could be seen billowing from the roof.
Flames reaching at least 50ft could be seen right across Belfast’s skyline.
The historic clock at the top of the building was engulfed in flames before the fire spread from the roof to the floors below.
The building had survived bombs and fires throughout its long history in the city.
