Overgate evacuated as firefighters attempt to track down source of smoke

The Overgate shopping centre in Dundee had to be evacuated while firefighters searched for the cause of smoke seen coming from the rear of the Argos store.

For more than an hour yesterday afternoon staff and shoppers were banned from entering the complex as firefighters searched for the source of the smoke.

Later the search focused on H&M and Argos, and while the ban on entry remained for these two shops for almost two more hours, others were re-opened around 5pm.

Last night the man in charge of the Tayside Fire and Rescue response said the Overgate’s ventilation system cleared the smoke, making it impossible for his team to establish the cause.

Station manager Fraser Scott from Blackness Fire Station stressed the time-consuming search and ban on entry was essential to ensure the public’s safety.

“Firefighters searched throughout the premises to establish where the smoke came from, but that could not be identified,” he said.