Update Saturday Evening Fatal Fire at Atherstone on Stour
Fire officers working at the warehouse in Atherstone on Stour in South Warwickshire have this evening (Saturday 3 November) made an initial visual assessment of the collapsed building.
The search and rescue team were able to briefly enter the building after colleagues finished damping down the huge fire late this afternoon.
The specialist search and rescue team were only able to enter a few feet into the building, where they remained for only a few minutes, to carry out an initial visual assessment of the collapsed building.
Fire officers and police officers at the scene have now withdrawn for the night. Work will resume tomorrow morning (Sunday) with the assistance of structural engineers and the Health and Safety Executive. A police cordon remains around the scene.
One fire fighter has been confirmed dead, and three are still missing following the fire on at the vegetable warehouse on the Atherstone on Stour industrial estate, which is believed to have started at just after 6pm on Friday night (2 November).
More than 80 fire fighters from Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the West Midlands worked through the night to bring the fire under control.
Damping down operations have continued throughout today (Saturday 3 November)
Police and Fire and Rescue officers have confirmed they will not be releasing the name of the fire fighter who died or the details of those who remain missing, at this time.
The families of the missing personnel are being kept up to date with the details of the search and rescue operation and are being supported by family liaison officers from the fire service and the police.