22/03/2018

Up To 200 Escape Tower Block Fire

Up to 200 people have successfully evacuated or escaped without injury in a major fire at Ballymun's Metro Hotel and apartment complex.

At approximately 8pm on Wednesday night a fire broke out in a private apartment on the 13th floor of the building, above the hotel's guest rooms but quickly spread to other floors of the building.

Around 60 firefighters, eight pumps and two aerial units spent a number of hours extinguishing the blaze, with fire crews wearing specialist breathing apparatus moving through the hotel and apartment block tackling fires and hot spots.

Following an initial investigation, Dublin Fire Brigade said that they do not believe the cause of the fire was suspicious, but it is expected to take a month to establish the cause of the blaze and it is to be "several months" before the building can be returned to use.

Dublin's Chief Fire Officer Patrick Fleming is reported to have said that the fire was "one of the biggest fires they have dealt with in high rise buildings in recent times" but added that it was "not a Grenfell tower Tyler incident" as the fire spread internally and there were no issues with external cladding.

Gardaí will lead the investigation into the cause of the fire.

(MH)

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