Firefighters remain at scene of Chinatown fire which claimed lives of two people

[Guest Nicole]

Crews remain at the Nicholas Street building in Manchester city centre following the blaze in the early hours of Friday

Firefighters outside the building in Chinatown (Photo: Steve Allen)

Firefighters are still at the scene of a devastating Chinatown fire which claimed the lives of two people - believed to be rough sleepers.

Crews remain at the Nicholas Street building in Manchester city centre following the blaze in the early hours of Friday.

A handful of firefighters are working to ensure the fire is completely out.

They doused small pockets of fire overnight - and expect to be at the building for the rest of the day.

Crews - and an aerial appliance - extinguished smoldering embers in the basement of the building on Friday night.

Tragically, two bodies were discovered by fire service search and rescue dogs on the first floor of the five-storey building.

They have not yet been identified, but are thought to have been members of Manchester’s homeless community.

Police confirmed that one line of enquiry is that they had started a fire to keep warm, though the cause of the blaze has not yet been established.

The fire has caused outrage among homeless charities and MPs, who have called for more action to tackle homelessness in the city.

Amanda Croome, manager of Manchester’s Booth Centre, which offers advice and support for homeless people, said she was stunned by the incident and hoped it would prompt urgent action.

MPs blamed the government’s austerity drive for the rocketing number of rough sleepers. Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey said: “We can’t go on with this type of society. This isn’t civilisation.”

The alarm was raised just before 2.15am on Friday.

The building was left devastated by the inferno and the roof caved in.

The blaze has caused severe damage to the building.

Crews were forced to tackled the fire from a distance to avoid falling debris, with fears the structure could collapse.

Council engineers are working with a building inspector as the site has been deemed structurally unsafe.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 - quoting incident number 146 of 25 November - or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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