Concerns historic building destroyed by Belfast city centre inferno may have to be demolished
Primark store now a shell after "one of biggest ever blazes"
Last updated 29th Aug 2018
There are fears today (Wednesday) one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic buildings will have to be demolished after being gutted by fire.
The inferno at the 233-year-old landmark Bank Buildings where the flagship Primark store was based was reduced to a charred shell.
The salvage operation is expected to continue throughout the day - with firefighters still at the scene this morning.
A 45-metre cordon around the building is in place and the public have been advised to avoid the area.
Architect Vincent Murray said the priority now was to establish if the historic building can be saved.
In an interview with Downtown & Cool FM, he said: “It would be very important the building would be restored if at all possible – certainly it’s one of the most important commercial buildings in the centre of Belfast
“Detailed surveys will have to be carried out to see whether the structure is stable and can be retained.
“Because it’s an important listed building, the authorities will be keen to retain but there is obviously concern about the safety of the adjoining buildings, pedestrians, vehicles, and the fact that it is a major traffic route around the building.”
Last week, Primark announced a recruitment drive for more than 100 jobs as was undergoing a £30m renovation to add 30,000 sq ft.
Work to complete the bigger store was to be finished by the end of the year.
The fire will have an impact on hundreds of jobs at what is Northern Ireland's largest Primark store.
In a statement, Primark’s CEO Paul Marchant expressed his “shock and sadness”.
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers, colleagues and construction team is of course the most important consideration and we are truly relieved that all were evacuated safely.
“We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and ongoing actions.
“Our store is housed in an iconic building and much loved by the people of Belfast.
“We would like to reassure our customers, colleagues and the wider community in Belfast that we are committed to working with the authorities and our building contractors to establish the cause of the fire.
“We are working closely with our team in Belfast to ensure they are fully supported during this challenging period.
“We would like to thank everybody for their support during this difficult time.''
Hundreds of members of the public were removed from the area as they city went into lockdown with police closing roads and diverting traffic to allow firefighters to tackle the blaze.
Loud bangs could be heard coming from the fire, while large pieces of debris were seen falling from the building.
A senior fire officer described the fire as one of the biggest they have battled in a number of years.
At one stage flames and thick black smoke engulfed the five-story building.
More than 100 firefighters battled for over six hours as the major blaze ripped through.
Parts of the roof then collapsed as thick black smoke and fire ripped through the rest of the flagship store.
The building has survived bombs and fires throughout its long history in the city.
Michael Graham, assistant chief fire and rescue officer, said they would continue to deal with the fire into the evening and potentially overnight.
He said he did not know what caused it, nor whether there were fire alarms or sprinklers in place. Nobody was injured.
He expressed concerns'' over the structural integrity of the building, with part of itprone to collapse'' and said a 30-metre cordon had been established for that reason.
"It was a difficult fire and a fire that has continued for approximately six hours,'' he said.
"It has been a long and arduous six hours for them but we will continue to fight the fire until we extinguish it.
"It is one of the biggest we have experienced in the last two to three years.'"