Stark images show the huge response as fire crews battled a blaze at a shop in Edinburgh. Emergency services raced to Gillespie Place in Tollcross after the inferno took hold at around 6.25pm on Saturday.
Around 20 firefighters raced to the blaze with four appliances mobilised and a height appliance sent to the scene. Images shared by Edinburgh Live show crew standing on a ladder reaching to the flats above the Edinburgh Halal store while several emergency responders can be seen below.
Eyewitnesses said a large cordon was put in place with Leven Street and Gillespie Place closed off to the public and traffic. Pictures from the scene also show residents and passers-by watching from a distance.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “We received a report of a fire at a store on Gillespie Place at around 6.25pm. There are currently four fire appliances and one height appliance. It is currently ongoing.”
Buses in the area have also been diverted. Lothian Buses wrote on their website: “Due to a road closure buses are unable to serve Leven Street and are instead diverted via Gilmore Place, Polwarth Terrace, Gray’s Loan and Colinton Road in both directions until further notice.”
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