A fire in Belfast city centre has destroyed the 233 year old Bank Building where Primark is situated.

The fire began at around 11am and the city centre was closed off to traffic.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service posted on Twitter regarding the Primark fire.

Primark have also released a statement from Primark CEO Paul Marchant:

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the fire today at our Bank Buildings store in Belfast city centre. The safety and wellbeing of our customers, colleagues and construction team is of course the most important consideration and we are truly relieved that all were evacuated safely. We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and ongoing actions.

“Our store is housed in an iconic building and much loved by the people of Belfast. We would like to reassure our customers, colleagues and the wider community in Belfast that we are committed to working with the authorities and our building contractors to establish the cause of the fire.

“We are working closely with our team in Belfast to ensure they are fully supported during this challenging period. We would like to thank everybody for their support during this difficult time”

Videos posted on Social show the black billowing smoke from the historic Bank Buildings designed by Sir Robert Taylor and built by Waddell Cunningham in 1785.

Thankfully all customers were safely evacuated. However, those who have lived in the area for a long time are sad to see the building going up in flames.

  • By Erin Seils, Editior of World and Science
  • Sources: Belfast Live, The Guardian, BBC
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