Enormous damage and significant disruption after Glasgow Central fire – Swinney

There is “enormous” damage following the fire at a building next to Glasgow Central station and disruption will be significant, John Swinney has said.

Scotland’s First Minister also said the Scottish Government was willing to help the city council with the “immediate, significant and unexpected” financial consequences of the blaze.

All train services from Scotland’s busiest railway station were cancelled on Monday, with the station unlikely to reopen on Tuesday.

Several city centre streets have been closed off as a result of the fire, which led to a building partially collapsing.

Speaking to the Press Association in Kilmarnock, Scotland’s First Minister said he would shortly be visiting the scene of the incident in Glasgow city centre.

He said: “This has been a very, very serious fire in the proximity of Central Station in Glasgow.

“And I want to express my warmest thanks to the emergency services for dealing with a truly horrific incident, a very severe incident, and doing it with such pace and such effectiveness.”

He continued: “The fact that there are no serious injuries reported is a huge relief, but the damage is enormous and the disruption will be significant to the travelling public and around the city centre.”

The First Minister added: “The Government recognises that there will be a significant financial cost arising out of this incident.

“We’re in the early days of all of that. But I want to signal our willingness to support Glasgow City Council and to support them financially in dealing with the consequences, which will be immediate, significant and unexpected.”

Speaking later to PA from the scene of the fire, the First Minister said his Government was open to changing regulations on vape shops given where the fire started.

“If the fire did start in the vape shop, which is what I’ve certainly been briefed was the case, then it will raise issues abut the safety of such premises and it’s vital that we examine all of those issue with an open mind,” he said.

“I give the public an assurance the Government will do exactly that and to determine whether there are safety issues that have to be addressed.

“Having seen some of the early moments of the fire and seeing and hearing the explosions, I can understand why there is deep public unease about these issues, so those issues will have to be considered in open detail.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also discussed the fire during an event in Glasgow.

He told Press Association: “First and foremost, I want to say thank you to the emergency services for their rapid response. I don’t think you can emphasise enough how brave these individuals are.”

He continued: “We do now have to think about how we support those local businesses, how we make sure there is safety on the site, it’s secured, how we can get travel back active again.”

Mr Sarwar said he knew the area well and it was “heartbreaking” to see the destruction.

Thomas Kerr, a Reform UK councillor for Shettleston in Glasgow, said his party is “calling for the temporary removal of all vapes from shelves while a full investigation is carried out”.

He said: “Vape shops have become increasingly common in town and city centres across the country, often located close to other businesses and residential properties.

“The impact of today’s fire on nearby businesses and commercial premises has been catastrophic.

“We must now ask what could happen if a similar incident were to occur in a residential building.

“This is a serious safety issue, and the country cannot afford to ignore the risks these shops, and the storage of large numbers of vapes and batteries, may pose to our communities and businesses.”