A major fire broke out at the historic Baťa shoe factory building in Zlín, eastern Czech Republic, causing part of the building to collapse while authorities rushed to evacuate residents for safety.
Firefighters and police evacuated about 100 people from the 9th floor of the Baťa shoe factory building in the Czech Republic, the suspected origin of the fire. More than 300 firefighters and volunteers from over 40 units took turns managing the situation amid fierce flames and the risk of unstable building structure. No injuries or deaths have been reported so far.
Pavel Reznicek, spokesperson for the regional fire department, said the fire is still not fully under control and is unlikely to be extinguished within a day due to ongoing flames and the risk of further structural collapse.
The building stands 11 stories tall and was constructed in the late 1940s to early 1950s to serve as the central shoe warehouse for Baťa, once one of the world’s largest shoe manufacturers, before its function was later changed.
Currently, less than half of the building’s structure remains after parts collapsed due to fire damage, while authorities continue investigating the cause of the blaze.
. Source:reuters
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