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Birmingham's Broad Street closed after takeaway fire | Birmingham's Broad Street closed after takeaway fire |
(35 minutes later) | |
A "suspicious" blaze at a fast food restaurant in Birmingham city centre has led to the closure of a major road. | |
Eight fire engines were called to Food Republic in Broad Street at 06:15 BST. | |
More than 200 guests also had to be evacuated from the adjoining Hampton Hilton hotel. | |
Broad Street was closed going out of the city from the junction of Sheepcote Street to Bishopsgate Street and buses were diverted. Firefighter Dave Pitt said the circumstances were suspicious. | |
He said "moderate" damage had been caused and an investigation would take place to establish the cause. | |
Among the hotel guests who were evacuated from the building was software consultant Ade Ibironke, who said a fire alarm woke him up at about 06:00 BST. | |
"No-one's really been telling the hotel guests what's been going on," he said. | |
"My phone is stuck upstairs so I haven't called anyone yet but I think I need to find another phone as I don't think I will be going inside soon." | "My phone is stuck upstairs so I haven't called anyone yet but I think I need to find another phone as I don't think I will be going inside soon." |
Another hotel guest, who spotted the smoke rising outside his window, said: "Thankfully I was up but I opened the door and shouted down the corridor that everyone needed to get out. | |
"I just bumbled out through the door. | |
"As we were going down the stairs, the smell of smoke was increasing and a number of staff joined us on the way to the fire exit. | |
"We were going down and I knew the fire must be somewhere below where my room had been so at that point I felt scared. I did not know if we could get out." |