80 firefighters tackle Birmingham supermarket fire

Nearly 80 firefighters have responded to a fire at Zeenat Supermarket in Birmingham through the night.

Twelve fire engines were sent to Alum rock Road in Saltley at 6:43pm last night (19th September) to tackle the blaze which had spread to flats above the supermarket.

Investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of the fire.

Three fire engines, a 4×4 Brigade Response Vehicle and around 20 personnel remain at the scene at 10am this morning. Nearby Thornton School was not harmed during the blaze but has closed today (20th September).

West Midlands Fire Service said a roof collapse and the potential collapse of a wall are among some of the challenges faced by firefighters. They will continue to identify and extinguish hotspots, supported by the thermal imaging technology of a drones.

A priority was ensuring that as many local roads as possible could reopen as early as possible this morning. Currently St Agathas Road, Alum Rock railway bridge, Woodhall Road, Bankdale Road, Thornton Road, Washwood Heath Road, Chetwyn Road, Alum Rock Road and Beanie Lane are still closed.

There has been no report of injuries.