Reading fire: Black smoke rises above the city center after a huge building fire breaks out
This is the dramatic moment a man is brought to safety after a massive fire broke out in Reading city center this morning.
Images and videos have emerged on social media showing thick black smoke billowing from an under-construction building near the city’s train station.
It is not known whether there are still people on the site and whether there have been any injuries.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue were called to a fire near Napier Road in Reading at 11.38am this morning, with a number of crews and emergency services attending.
People have been told to avoid the area, while locals have been told to close their windows and doors as smoke can now come from villages several kilometers away.
A huge fire has broken out in a busy city centre, sending clouds of smoke into the air
Images and videos showing thick black smoke billowing from a building under construction have emerged on social media
It is not known whether there are still people on the site and whether there have been any injuries
There are currently several fire brigades and emergency services on site.
Office workers at Thames Tower, which is very close to the burning construction site, saw the flames firsthand and were asked to evacuate at around 11.40am.
In a statement, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue said: ‘At 11.38am on Thursday 23 November we received reports of a fire near Napier Road in Reading.
‘A number of our teams are currently on site. While emergency services are working, we are asking people to avoid the area where possible and to close windows and doors if you live or work in the area.
“Thank you for your patience as we deal with this incident. Updates will be provided via our website incident feed.”