Northern Ireland

Two taken to hospital after Belfast apartment blaze

Fire crews were called to a blaze at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker
Fire crews were called to a blaze at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker Fire crews were called to a blaze at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker

Two people were taken to hospital and 80 people were evacuated after a fire at a Belfast city centre apartment block.

More than 50 firefighters tackled the blaze which began on the first floor of the building on Great Victoria Street.

Firefighters were called to the scene just after 2am.

Two people were treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said about 24 people were moved to a nearby community centre.

Streets around the blaze were filled with smoke for several hours this morning following the blaze.

A blaze broke out at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast early this morning. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker
A blaze broke out at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast early this morning. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker A blaze broke out at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast early this morning. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker

Alan O'Neill from the Fire Service told the BBC crews discovered an "extensive" blaze which had "spread and travelled with quite a bit of smoke up through the building".

He said work will need to be carried out before some residents can return to their homes.

"At this stage we're treating it (the fire) as accidental, but we will carry out further investigation later on today," he said.

Fire crews at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker
Fire crews at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker Fire crews at an apartment block on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. Picture by David McCormick, Pacemaker