Perth hotel fire: Police probe fatal blaze at New County Hotel

Police and occurrence officers person launched an probe into a fatal occurrence astatine a edifice successful Perth.

Three radical died successful the blaze astatine the New County Hotel aboriginal connected Monday morning.

The alarm was raised astatine astir 05:10, starring to a immense effect from the exigency services, with 21 ambulance crews, 60 firefighters and 9 occurrence appliances astatine the country astatine its peak.

Hotel guests and 2 radical from neighbouring flats were evacuated.

Eleven radical were treated astatine the country by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The occurrence was extinguished astatine astir 06:30 and 3 bodies were discovered successful a consequent search.

A canine besides died successful the blaze, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

Police Scotland said officers were conducting a associated probe with the occurrence service.

Ch Supt Phil Davison added: "Our thoughts are precise overmuch with the families and loved ones of those who person died astatine what is simply a precise hard clip for everyone."

Jason Sharp, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service country commandant for Perth, Kinross, Angus and Dundee, described it arsenic a "very analyzable incident".

"Our firefighters worked highly hard successful a precise analyzable and challenging situation to forestall the further dispersed of occurrence and harm wherever possible," helium said connected Monday afternoon.

"At its height, we had 9 occurrence appliances successful attendance with implicit 60 firefighters.

"We're presently inactive successful attendance to marque definite the country is safe. I would similar to convey our crews and our different exigency partners and section authorization for their support."

Residents of the metropolis centre thoroughfare spoke of a consciousness of daze that specified a calamity could person happened connected the 2nd time of the caller year.

"We were wakened astatine 05:00 erstwhile the alarms went disconnected and the lights were flashing successful my room," 1 nonmigratory told BBC Scotland.

"Obviously arsenic we were watching it unfold, constabulary incidental units were arriving. The occurrence brigade and 21 ambulances were outside.

"It was beauteous horrendous to watch. It was frightening. When I saw the backstage ambulance I knew it lone meant 1 thing. Then I realised it was major."

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who is the section MSP, paid tribute to the enactment of the exigency services.

"The quality of the large occurrence astatine the New County Hotel successful Perth and the nonaccomplishment of beingness that has been associated with that has been an perfectly tragic commencement to 2023 successful the metropolis of Perth," helium said.

"I widen my deepest sympathies to everybody who has been progressive successful this calamity and affected by this tragedy.

"There has been a immense effort by the exigency services to effort to debar the nonaccomplishment of beingness and code the precise superior occurrence that has emerged, and a full big of enactment enactment has been enactment successful spot to assistance those who person been affected, and I'm grateful to everybody for their efforts successful these precise bittersweet circumstances."

First Minster Nicola Sturgeon described it arsenic a "sad and shocking incident".

In a post connected Twitter, she added: "My deepest condolences are with the bereaved and my thoughts with each those involved.

"I americium besides hugely grateful to the firefighters who responded and to our different exigency services."