A Tesco Extra store in Glasgow's Maryhill was evacuated on Friday afternoon after a car fire in the underground car park caused a major blaze. The vehicle, believed to be an electric model, caught fire near the store at around 4.21pm.
Fire service response
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dispatched two engines to tackle the blaze, with bystanders reporting thick black smoke billowing from the car park entrance. Staff and shoppers were quickly ushered out of the store as a precaution, and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Police are present at the scene and have cordoned off the car park, with traffic issues reported due to the closures.
Witness accounts
Ryan, a 26-year-old energy consultant who lives opposite the store, described the scene as "utter chaos." He told Glasgow Live: "I was just coming home on the bus and I saw the smoke which looked like it was coming out the roof of the Tesco store."
"Then when I rounded the corner to get to my flat I saw it was a car on fire. It looks like an electric car, although I've no idea how it started. The staff and customers were being evacuated and it was total panic. They are just standing outside now waiting for the firefighters to finish."
Store closed
A second witness warned on a local Facebook page: "There is a fire in the car park of the big Tesco on Maryhill Road. The smoke is travelling across the street. The Fire Service and Police are here."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stated: "We received a call at 4.21pm to reports of a car on fire at the Tesco supermarket on Maryhill Road in Glasgow. We mobilised two appliances and are still at the scene."
A spokesperson for Tesco said: "Our Glasgow Maryhill Extra store is temporarily closed due to a fire in the car park which has now been extinguished. We apologise for the inconvenience." Police Scotland have been contacted for a statement.
