A body has been found after a fire and explosion at an Edinburgh flat
Officers and emergency services were called following a report of an explosion and fire within a four-story tenement building in Fountainbridge, next to Tolcross Primary School, at around 5pm on Tuesday.
Firefighters, working to extinguish the blaze and conduct a search of the building, found a person dead within the second floor of the building.
Big explosion and fire in fountainbridge#edinburgh #fire pic.twitter.com/XPwSUymHhV
— Perry Aire Senior (@AirePerry) September 10, 2019
An Edinburgh Police Division statement said: “No further information is available on this person until officers have worked to ensure all relatives are aware.
“Due to the structural damage caused, emergency services have had to retreat from the scene whilst a thorough buildings assessment is carried out, which remains ongoing.
“Local road closures are currently in place and Fountainbridge will remain closed until the building assessment has been completed.”
Chief Inspector Scott Richardson said: “Our thoughts at this time remain with the relatives of the person who has sadly passed away. Officers and firefighters remain at the scene whilst the building is assessed for structural damage.
“The explosion and fire has caused significant damage to the building and Fountainbridge will remain closed for the foreseeable. I would ask that members of the public avoid the area, where possible.
“A joint investigation will be carried out in due course by police and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to determine the cause of the fire, which is not currently thought to be suspicious.”
Police added that the road remains closed from Gardner’s Crescent to Ponton Street, and the public should avoid the area, where possible.
