The historic Glasgow building devastated by a fire at the weekend has suffered further collapses, Glasgow City Council has said. The local authority described what remains of the Victorian structure as “seriously compromised”.
The blaze began in a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday and spread through the building, leaving only the facade of the B-listed building at the junction with Gordon Street. The fire forced the closure of neighbouring Glasgow Central Station, Scotland’s busiest railway station.
Raymond Barlow, the council’s head of building standards, said there had been “further collapses in the intervening period, the most recent of which was the southern gable of the remaining structure”. He added that the council will take over the site once firefighters are finished and will “do whatever is necessary in the interests of public safety”.
The lower level of Glasgow Central has resumed services, but the main part of the station will remain closed for the rest of the week. Network Rail said it must wait for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the council to complete their work before making a structural assessment to determine any damage to the station.
