'We are all absolutely shattered' - Waterford music school destroyed in Tycor fire
A heartbreaking video has emerged of Waterford Centre of Music staff watching as their beloved school burns in Tycor Business Centre blaze
A tragic fire broke out in the Tycor Business Centre in Waterford on Saturday evening last and it took several hours to bring under control.
The fire has caused extensive damage to the building, particularly to the roof, as well as to large parts of the inside.
Whilst no one was injured, the fire has come as a big blow to a number of local businesses whose premises are located in the building.
One organisation in particular facing major devastation is Waterford Centre of Music who recently shared a video to their Facebook page of the business centre on fire as they watched crying in despair.
In a statement, the music centre said: "Unfortunately, the devastating fire that ripped through Tycor Business Centre last night has completely destroyed our beautiful school.
"We are all absolutely shattered at the moment and are slowly coming to terms with it all. We would like to thank all of firefighters who did everything they could to control the blaze, and to all of the emergency services who were at the scene last night with us.
"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the messages of support. We can't respond to everyone just yet, but they are so appreciated.
"To all of the other business owners, who are such a great community and friends to us, our thoughts are with you all and we will rally together as try to recover from this horror.
"And to our wonderful students, parents, choir members, band members, friends, family and everyone who has ever helped and supported us along the way to build this dream....please try not to worry.
"We know how upset you all are, but Waterford Centre of Music is made of more than just bricks and mortar. It's every person that has ever walked through our doors, every child who stood on a stage and sang, every musician, young and old....you are the school, and we will come back from this, together. We'll be in touch with you all individually over the coming days as we try to figure out our next move.
"Our souls are destroyed and our hearts are broken for our school, but especially for all of the people in the Tycor Business community. It's a sad, sad day for us all".
The video below shows Waterford Centre of Music watching the blaze that has tragically destroyed their school of music along with other businesses and establishments rooted in the Waterford community.
People are being advised to stay clear of the area as clean-up workers are on the site following the tragic events.
In its latest update, Waterford City and County Council said asbestos-containing materials (ACM) have been identified in the fire-damaged structure and debris.
A limited amount of fire debris has been deposited on surrounding footpaths and roadways within the general vicinity of the site.
A specialist contractor has been appointed to conduct a precautionary clean-up of the affected external areas, and an independent asbestos consultancy has been appointed to monitor the environment throughout the remediation works.