A worker is dead and another is being treated for serious injuries after an explosion at a Perth recycling centre.
Emergency crews went to Shore Recycling at 12.39am on Tuesday following reports of the blast.
The body of a 46-year-old man has been recovered, with fire crews extinguishing the blaze on Tuesday night.
Firefighters will return to the scene on Wednesday to check for hot spots.
A second man, 41, is receiving treatment for serious injuries at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. His condition is described as stable.
A probe into what caused the fire is continuing.
Recycling firm issues statement on Perth fire
Michael Elwine, managing director of Shore Recycling Ltd, said: “We are all devastated, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague who has died.
“We are extremely grateful to the emergency services for their skill and diligence in dealing with the incident.
“The cause of the incident is not known at this time. The fire is thought to have started around 12.45am.
“Emergency services spent several hours at the scene and inquiries are ongoing. The fire is now contained.
“We will co-operate fully with any investigations.
“The plant remains closed until further notice.”
The incident caused gridlock on roads in the area with the M90 Friarton Bridge closed in both directions for almost 14 hours.
The motorway has since reopened.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service say about 200 tonnes of scrap material went on fire.
Residents were urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke.
Locals reported feeling their homes shake during the explosion, with one woman sharing doorbell footage capturing the moment of the blast.
Jayne Cafferty, who lives around half-a-mile from the recycling centre, says she was woken by a loud explosion.
She said: “It woke me up because it felt like something had hit the house. All you heard was a big boom.”
Fourth recycling centre fire in two years
It is the fourth fire at Shore Recycling Centre in the last two years.
A similar early morning blaze took place in September 2022 which the fire service described as “significant”.
Firefighters were also called to the same site in April 2021 when a pile of waste caught fire.
Ms Cafferty added: “We live in such a popular area, you never see any houses go up for sale.
“It will certainly be interesting to see if people do decide to leave after another fire.”
Chief Inspector Tom Leonard, Police Scotland area commander for Perth and Kinross, has thanked locals for their co-operation.
He said: “I would like to thank members of the public, particularly road users, for their patience while our colleagues in the Scottish Fire and Rescue service work to put out the fire.”
There were huge tailbacks on roads through Perth city centre and the surrounding area as drivers were diverted off the M90.
Journeys were delayed by up to an hour at one point.
Perth and Kinross Council was also forced to cancel bin collections due to delays.
It says anyone whose rubbish is not collected should leave it at the kerbside for 48 hours.
Plumes of smoke seen for miles
Residents more than eight miles away reported seeing a plume of smoke rising from the site on Tuesday morning.
Inchture resident Dominic Glasgow said: “I could see the smoke from St Madoes, at least eight miles away.
“As I drove over Kinnoull I could still see fire and a dark plume rising up over the bridge.
“The smoke is visible for miles around.”
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