Emergency services were called to the Tesco supermarket in the Maryhill area of Glasgow shortly after 4.20pm on Friday, August 21, following reports of a car on fire. Two crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service battled the flames and thick black smoke in the underground car park before extinguishing the blaze.
Staff and customers were evacuated from the store as a precaution, and no injuries were reported. The store remained closed the following morning, and new images revealed the charred remains of a vehicle, which is almost unrecognisable and is believed to have been an electric vehicle.
Witnesses describe 'total panic'
Ryan, a 26-year-old energy consultant who lives opposite the store, 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."
He added: "The staff and customers were being evacuated and it was total panic. They are just standing outside now waiting for the firefighters to finish."
Customers evacuated amid smoke
Christopher, a regular customer, described pandemonium when the alarm went off. His sister and six-year-old nephew were left in the toilets by a member of staff who said it would be a false alarm. "To be fair to them, the alarm goes off in that store maybe four or five times a year and they evacuate every time, so they are well drilled," he said.
"My sister had taken my nephew to use the toilet and she said there was a member of staff in when the alarm went off, and the staff member just walked out saying it would be a false alarm and not to worry. By the time she came out, though, the store was practically empty - fortunately, a security guard helped her to evacuate." He noted that smoke could be seen coming into the store as panicked customers ran outside. "Panic was definitely the word, there was smoke coming in one of the entrances," he added.
Police cordon and incident numbers
Police officers set up a cordon within the car park, with a number of vehicles trapped inside. Officers issued incident numbers to shoppers whose cars could not be moved so they could avoid fines for overstaying the three-hour limit.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "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."
A Tesco spokesperson 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."
