Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Blaze-hit factory had asbestos roof
THE owner of the warehouse destroyed by fire on Baldovie Industrial Estate said he was unaware there was asbestos contained in the building when he bought it.
Health chiefs have confirmed white asbestos was present in the roof of the former Wood Group warehouse, gutted by a blaze on Sunday.
Crowds gathered to watch as firefighters battled the flames, with huge plumes of smoke seen for miles around. It is estimated to have caused more than £1 million of damage.
However, Emran Amin, the owner of the building, insisted he was unaware asbestos was in the structure.
He said: “We were told when we bought the building that there was no asbestos.
“To my knowledge there wasn’t any.”
Mr Amin previously claimed the warehouse itself, which was being used by Carpet Reclaim, was worth about £1m, with equipment inside costing about £250,000.
Rumours had spread around people living nearby that asbestos, which has been linked with cancer, had been inside the building.
However, while confirming the presence of the toxic chemical, an NHS spokesman said the risk to those in the local area is negligible.
He said: “Tests have now established the presence of white asbestos from the building’s roof.
“It is the most commonly used kind and is often found in roofs.
“The public should be reassured that advice from NHS Tayside’s public health team is that on the basis of international evidence, the risk to human health from large fires involving asbestos is negligible.
“The ongoing risk to the health of the local population and those in the vicinity at the time is extremely low.”
However, residents living nearby, particularly those with long-term health problems and respiratory conditions, are asked to remain indoors and keep their windows closed
Meanwhile an i nvestigation is under way to establish the cause of the fire, which it is believed may have been started deliberately.
Drumgeith Road remains closed to through traffic and there are further restrictions on Forties Road. The household waste recycling centre at Baldovie is closed to the public.
Fire appliances were still at the scene yesterday dampening down the remnants of the blaze.
The Health and Safety Executive has been approached for comment.