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Fire breaks out at Bolton student flats block Bolton fire: Huge blaze breaks out at student flats
(32 minutes later)
A huge fire has broken out at a university student accommodation block in Bolton. A huge fire has broken out at a university student accommodation block.
Police have closed a number of roads around Bradshawgate in the town and have asked people to avoid the area. Crowds of students have been evacuated from the building in Bradshawgate in Bolton and police have urged people to avoid the area.
Crowds of students have been evacuated from the building. It is not known if there are any injuries. One witness said the fire was "climbing up" the building and "bubbling from the outside".
Great Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at about 20:50 GMT and 20 engines were currently at the scene. Great Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said 26 fire engines had been at the scene since about 20:30 GMT. It is not known if there are any injuries.
Videos posted on social media show debris falling from the building. A spokeswoman said there were also three cherry pickers being used to tackle the fire at the six-storey block.
Images show firefighters tackling flames coming out of the windows on the top floors of the building. Videos posted on social media show debris falling from the building and firefighters tackling flames coming out of the windows on the top floors.
One student tweeted to say she had to leave her belongings "but the main thing is I'm out and I'm safe". One student tweeted to say she had to leave her belongings and added: "But the main thing is I'm out and I'm safe."
Witness Ace Love, 35, said the fire "kept getting more intense, climbing up and to the right because the wind was blowing so hard".
"We could see it bubbling from the outside and then being engulfed from the outside," he added.
"A lot of students got out very fast, someone was very distressed, the rest were on phones calling for help.
"The fire got worse and worse, to the point where you could see through the beams, it was just bare frame."