By Precious Assah
University students had to be evacuated from their flats in Leicester for several hours in the middle of the night after a fire broke out at a nearby industrial unit.
Thirty plus firefighters were called out after a blaze broke out at an industrial unit in Great Central Street at about 3.45am on Thursday(MAY2).
The fire left students terrified, as the Tannery and Merlin Heights blocks of flats were affected by the thick black smoke.
Students were asked to evacuate the premises, and had to wait in the cold until they were allowed back in.
A witness, DMU journalism student Labi Adisa, was visiting a friend when the fire arose.
He said: “We had to wait outside for two hours, there was so many people worried and anxious.
“Some students came out with their possessions, whilst other students were documenting everything ready to post on TikTok.
“The smoke was too much for me and triggered my asthma.”
Fire service Incident Commander Kane Lucas said: “At the height of the fire there were 40-50 firefighters and to diffuse the fire we used six appliances, and two aerial appliances.
“Building inspectors came to visit the building affected. The fire has affected business owners and student accommodation.
“The cause of the fire is not yet known and is being looked at by the police. We are taking further action by making sure the building won’t collapse.”
At 10.44am that morning, De Montfort University sent an email to all students, which said: “There’s still a lot of smoke on parts of campus this morning. This is residual smoke from the fire, and there’s no need to worry. Our Security Team is working with the emergency services and monitoring the situation.
“We’re reaching out to them [students] to offer support.
“Exams planned for today will go ahead, including for the affected students. Your faculty is aware of the fire and the disruption it has caused. You can speak to your Faculty Student Advice Centre if you are worried about the impact on your exams.”
Detectives were investigating the cause of the fire and appealed to anyone who may have information, including taxi drivers or people walking past, to contact them.
If you have any information on the fire or what possibly caused it you can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quoting reference 24*255522
Alternatively call 101.
