Huge fire breaks out in Manchester with people evacuated and train lines blocked
A major fire has broken out in a derelict building in Manchester city centre, with residents in nearby apartment buildings forced to evacuate.
The building, which is the now-derelict Hotspur Press building beside Oxford Road station, erupted into flames this afternoon.
As a result all lines are blocked at the station, with Network Rail saying train services will be cancelled or delayed for most of the evening.
Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) told Metro: 'Firefighters are currently tackling a large fire at the derelict Hotspur Press building on Cambridge Street in Manchester.
'An evacuation of the neighbouring apartment buildings is taking place. The public are advised to stay away from the area while crews continue to tackle the fire.'
Greater Manchester Police confirmed to Metro that it is in attendance alongside the fire service.
National Rail said in a statement: 'There is a fire next to the track at Manchester Oxford Road, closing all lines at this station.
'As a result, trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 45 minutes or revised.
'Major disruption is expected to continue to impact services until 21:00.' More Trending
All floors of the derelict site appear to be on fire currently, with cordons in place on surrounding streets.
Images from across the Manchester skyline show plumes of smoke in the sky, with videos showing firefighters still tackling the ongoing fire.
Local councillor and city centre spokesperson Pat Karney said that council officers are 'awaiting advice from the fire service about any evacuation of residents'.
'I can see the huge dark clouds from my flat,' he added.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
MORE: Massive wildfire on Greek island of Chios sparks evacuations — 'situation remains critical'
MORE: Man in court charged with murder of partner found stabbed after house explosion
MORE: Woman dies after fire breaks out in hostel in north London
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
19 hours ago
- Metro
Plane crashes into parked aircraft while landing at airport
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Four people have miraculously walked away without serious injuries after an airplane crash at a US airport. Footage shows the single-engine aircraft landing at Kalispell City Airport in Montana before veering off the runway and colliding with a parked jet. The incident happened at about 2pm, triggering a huge explosion and a fire on the tarmac. Flames engulfed both planes, with plumes of dark smoke billowing into the sky. All three passengers on board the plane and the pilot survived the crash, with only two people being treated for minor injuries. A preliminary investigation showed the pilot lost control, crashing onto the runway before the plane struck several parked aircraft, local police said. The fire then spread to a grassy area alongside the airport before it was extinguished. More Trending Kalispell Fire Chief Jay Hagen said the plane crash-landed at the end of the runway and careened into another aircraft, citing witnesses. He said the passengers were able to get out on their own after it came to a stop. Ron Danielson manages a nearby inn and said he heard and saw the crash before plumes of dark smoke filled the area. He said: 'It sounded like if you were to stick your head in a bass drum and somebody smacked it as hard as they could.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Three killed in shooting at popular Target store MORE: Trump forgets twice he's meeting Putin in Alaska and says 'I'm going to Russia' MORE: One worker killed with dozens injured and trapped after explosion at steel plant
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Putin red-faced after new Russian navy boat sinks during final building work
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video One of Russia's new naval ships has met an early demise after capsizing and sinking in a busy Baltic shipyard. Tugboat Kapitan Ushakov was undergoing final outfitting in St. Petersburg when it began tilting sharply, prompting a frenzied response from shipyard teams to save the vessel. The new outfitting was too much for the boat to handle, and it was lying on its side just a few hours after it began tipping on August 8. The 70-metre boat was first launched in June 2022 and was intended to tow larger vessels, fight fires and help with search and rescue missions. Russian officials have launched an investigation into potential construction safety violations to see what led to the sinking. Initial reports found that a flood began in the machinery compartment of the ship. The accident happened just months after North Korea lost a ship in a similar way, as Kim Jong Un watched on. In May, North Korea's second naval destroyer capsized during a failed water launch after becoming damaged during rushed attempts to 'modernise' its naval forces. The new destroyer became unbalanced and was punctured in its bottom sections after a transport cradle on the stern section slid off first and became stuck. Kim, who was present at the ceremony, blamed military officials, scientists and shipyard operators for a 'serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism'. The blundering workers placed a massive blue tarp over the half-sunken ship to cover their mistake. Local news did not provide details on what caused the problem, the severity of the damage or whether anyone was injured. More Trending It's uncommon for North Korea to acknowledge military-related setbacks, so the disclosure of the failed ship launch suggests that Mr Kim is serious about his naval advancement programme. Navy expert Moon Keun-sik, from Seoul's Hanyang University, said: 'It's a shameful thing. 'But the reason why North Korea disclosed the incident is that it wants to show it's speeding up the modernisation of its navy forces and expresses its confidence that it can eventually build a greater Navy.' Moon said the accident happened because North Korean workers rushed to put the ship in the water. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Chairlift collapses in Russia plunging riders into a lake and the ground injuring 10 MORE: Trump-Putin meeting set for Alaska next week – what will happen? MORE: Inside Putin's 'demands' that could end Ukraine war next week
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Moment huge black bear is chased out of home by tiny Pomeranian dog
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A huge bear had a snoop around a family home before he was chased out by the owner's tiny five-pound dog. Kayla Kleine had left her front door ajar on Monday to get some air into her house in west Vancouver, Canada. However an unexpected guest took this as an opportunity to have a nosey around – a black bear. The large furry creature entered the living room and gave the television a sniff. It then made its way into the kitchen for a snack and tucked into the dog food. However the bear was quickly caught in the act by Kleine's five-pound Pomeranian, Scout. Video footaged showed Scout emerging from the next room, barking and bounding towards the large animal before chasing it out of the door. Ignoring his owner's call, the feisty dog hounded the bear out of the garden. By the time Kleine had reached for her bear spray, her canine defender had already scared off the intruder. She told Global News: 'He's got a lot of personality… I was so proud of him; he was so brave. 'He came sprinting around the corner, and I just saw the bear running out of our kitchen and he chased it out of the house.' More Trending Kleine added that Scout is 'super cuddly and affectionate' but also 'really protective' of both her and her husband. Black bears are commonly found across British Columbia, with as many as 9,000 estimated to be in Vancouver alone. The species has an extremely keen sense of smell at around seven times more powerful than a domesticated dog. However, according to the ministry of environment, lands and parks, 1,000 of the species are killed annually due to conflicts with humans. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: The heartbreaking and worrying reason blue whales are going silent MORE: Tarantulas with giant penises discovered and we're scared stiff MORE: Millionaire trophy hunter gored to death by 1.3 tonne bull on African safari
