New images taken by Tees.Pix show the aftermath of a fire that ripped through a derelict building in Carliol Square in Newcastle Upon Tyne as Central Motorway remains closed.
The fire, which started on Wednesday 28 June, closed off the motorway as emergency services worked to extinguish the blaze that saw smoke pouring across the road, reducing visibility.
Firefighters were first called out to the blaze at 6:44pm as a fire tore through an unused building that is thought to be a former strip club.
Read more: Queues through Tyne Tunnel after A167 closed in Newcastle
Several appliances from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene along with officers from Northumbria Police, who closed off the central motorway northbound from Tyne Bridge.
Northumbria Police also attended the area to support the operation and the Central Motorway was then closed in both directions after the Tyne Bridge to assist the operation.
Now, new images show the aftermath of the blaze as the road remains closed off to motorists whilst police conduct an investigation into the incident.
Vehicles have been spotted on the road as they clear debris from the motorway, and the devastating extent of the damage is revealed.
The closure has had a knock-on effect on motorists who have been subject to severe delays over the past week, using the Tyne Tunnel as an alternative route.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath, who will become Chief Fire Officer later this year, has praised the response of staff, partners and the public when the investigation was launched.
He said: “This was a large fire right in the city centre that has caused significant disruption to the road network, businesses and residents in the immediate vicinity.
“Thanks to the hard work of our firefighters and Fire Control staff, and with the support of partners across the region, we have arrived on the scene quickly and have been able to get the fire under control and put an operation in place.
“This is a disused building and we have not received any reports of anyone being unaccounted for. However, now the fire is extinguished we will be moving into an investigative phase with Northumbria Police.
“Enquiries will begin to establish the circumstances around the fire and, although we have been able to enter sections of the building, that investigation will also be able to confirm that nobody has been inside.”
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