CHRISTIE FIRE HORROR
SURGERY HALTED AS 100 FIREFIGHTERS TACKLE MAJOR BLAZE AT CANCER RESEARCH CENTRE
SURGERY was halted and patients and staff were temporarily moved to safety when a ferocious fire broke out at a research centre next to The Christie hospital.
More than 100 firefighters fought the blaze on the third floor of the renowned Cancer Research UK Institute, which carries out vital research into the illness.
Staff working at the research site, formerly known as the Paterson Building, on Wilmslow Road, Withington, were moved to safe areas as emergency crews rushed to the scene at 10.36am. And patients and staff at the nearby Christie hospital were also put on alert – with one patient dramatically removed from theatre mid-operation when an alarm sounded.
Another patient, who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time, said some patients were briefly evacuated from the ground floor of another building. Firefighters were working through the night to bring the flames under control.
The site, jointly run by Manchester University, Cancer Research UK and the hospital, was set up to pioneer new cancer treatments.
It is not known what damage has been caused to the lab work – and what, if any, setbacks it will cause to their research.
Fire chiefs declared a major incident with 16 crews on site.
Officers wearing breathing apparatus entered the building while two aerial units were used to hose the building with water from above.
Crews are expected to remain at the scene for another 48 hours at least.
A team of researchers working to
explore new treatments for cancer patients were working in the building when the fire broke out.
Hospital chief executive Roger Spencer said it was ‘too early’ to access the extend of the damage to the world-renowned facility – run by the University of Manchester, The Christie and Cancer Research UK.
But he stressed: “I would say it’s only part of our research facilities.
“We have a very large research centre, one of the largest in the country.”
Patients requiring treatment have been told to attend all appointments as normal today. Wilmslow Road – a main artery connecting south Manchester to the city centre – was expected to remain closed throughout the night. Buses and cars were diverted down adjacent Palatine Road as nearby Oak Road, Cotton Lane and Fog Lane remained closed.
Incident commander Jim Hutton, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire caused severe damage to the upper floor.
He added: “We’re in a position where the fire is contained. The third floor of the plant room is quite severely damaged.”
Residents in Withington were urged to stay away and keep windows and doors closed.
It is not known yet if any hazardous materials were destroyed in the fire.