Haunting Edinburgh images show the aftermath of the old Jenners building after a fire ripped through the historic building.
The devastating blaze tore through the iconic former department store on Monday with emergency services rushing to the scene shortly before 11.30am as thick smoke billowed from windows.
Five firefighters were injured, one critically, while tackling the inferno. Police Scotland are still at the scene.
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Images show the extreme damage the fire has caused to the interior of the building, which was being refurbished with plans to turn it into a luxury hotel. Photos show smashed windows and charcoaled furniture while scorched debris can be seen covering the floor.
As the blaze raged and flames were seen leaping from windows, thick smoke filled Princes Street and the public were urged by the police to stay away from the area. Witnesses said it was so thick, they were unable to see through the smoke as the fire escalated quickly.
Around 40 firefighters battled the blaze and witnesses could see one soot-covered fighter being helped from the building by his colleagues.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said: "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service along with the surveying team were looking into that overnight, so we don't yet know the cause.
"Obviously there was construction work happening on the old Jenners building, so we'll find out in the next coming days."
Mr Day added: "I sure I say this on behalf of the whole city, that our thoughts are with the firefighters who risked their lives to save the building and save the people around the city as well, so our thoughts are with their families today."
The council will assess the building's structural integrity, Mr Day said, adding: "That is a question we don't have the answer to yet." Asked if the building, which has stood in Princes Street since the 1800s, will survive, Mr Day was unable to be definitive.
"That will be subject to these surveys; I'm hopeful that where we saw the fire yesterday was to the rear of the building and I hope that can be salvaged," he said.
Scotland's community safety minister Elena Whitham paid tribute to the firefighters who tackled the blaze, saying: "Their sheer bravery and professionalism must be commended.
"Scotland's communities are lucky to have our valued firefighters, who stand ready to put their personal safety at risk in order to save others. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."
In a statement released in the hours after the blaze, the fire service's interim chief officer Ross Haggart said: "The fire at the Jenners building in Edinburgh is a very serious and complex incident and regrettably I can confirm that five of our colleagues have been taken to hospital for treatment and one remains in a critical condition."
In June 2022, plans to restore Jenners to its "former glory" were given the go ahead by councillors who unanimously granted permission for work to turn the building into a luxury hotel.
Key aspects such as the central atrium and outside signage were expected to be kept in place while plans said the building would undergo significant alterations to form a boutique 96-bedroom hotel on the upper floors.
A new seventh floor was expected to be added to the 1905 extension on the corner of South St David Street and Rose Street to make space for a gym, plant enclosure and roof terrace bar.
In the lower section, plans stated the building would remain in traditional use as a shopping destination with retail spaces and food and drink outlets from the basement to the first floor.
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