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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Bolton fire: Huge blaze breaks out at student flats | Bolton fire: Huge blaze breaks out at student flats |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A huge fire has broken out at a university student accommodation block. | A huge fire has broken out at a university student accommodation block. |
| 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 in Bradshawgate in Bolton and police have urged people to avoid the area. |
| One witness said the fire was "climbing up" the building and "bubbling from the outside". | One witness said the fire was "climbing up" the building and "bubbling from the outside". |
| Great Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said 25 fire engines had been at the scene since about 20:30 GMT. It is not known if there are any injuries. | |
| A spokesperson said there were also two aerial appliances being used to tackle the fire at the six-storey block. | |
| "Local residents are being asked to keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area where possible," they said. | |
| Videos posted on social media show debris falling from the building and firefighters tackling flames coming out of the windows on the top floors. | 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 and added: "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". | 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. | "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. | "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." | "The fire got worse and worse, to the point where you could see through the beams, it was just bare frame." |
| Greater Manchester Police said a number of road closures were in place. |