2 die as fire engulfs building in Manchester Chinatown

The bodies of two people were found after a large fire devastated a commercial building in Manchester's Chinatown early Friday morning.

The city's fire and rescue service said the fire started just after 2 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time, with flames so intense it lit up the Chinese arch which is just meters away from the blaze-hit building in downtown Nicholas Street.

The roof of the five-storey building caved in, with the whole building severely damaged by the inferno. Due to falling debris, firefighters were forced for a time to keep back from the multi-storey commercial building, fearing the whole structure could collapse.

Fire crews later searched the building with search-and-rescue dogs once the fire was under control.

Chief Inspector Gareth Parkin of Greater Manchester Police, said: "These are tragic circumstances and we are working to identify the people who were found in the building."

Police are checking to see if the two victims were homeless, sleeping in the unoccupied building in what has been one of the coldest nights of the winter with sub-zero temperatures.

An investigation is underway by police and the city's fire and rescue service to establish what caused the fire. Endit