Arabic version: بدء هدم مبنى غلاسكو التاريخي المتضرر من الحريق

According to BBC News,

The remains of a historic building in Glasgow, known as Union Corner, are set to be demolished due to safety concerns following a recent fire. Glasgow City Council confirmed that demolition will commence on Friday, as the structure poses a risk of further collapse, particularly due to a “floating” chimney stack still attached to an adjoining building.

The fire, which originated in a vape shop on Sunday afternoon, spread rapidly through the B-listed Victorian structure. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties. The council has since taken control of the site from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and conducted its own assessment, deeming the building to be “fatally compromised” and “highly dangerous.”

Raymond Barlow from the council’s building standards team noted that the demolition efforts will focus on removing the most hazardous elements first, including the floating chimney. He indicated that the process could take several weeks, as the timeline will depend on weather conditions that affect crane operations.

As the demolition prepares to start, security measures have been implemented around the site, which extends to Central Station. Firefighters are on-site to monitor any remaining hot spots from the fire. Meanwhile, Network Rail is exploring options for safely reopening parts of the station, with some low-level services having already resumed earlier this week.

Local politicians have expressed concerns over the swift decision to demolish the building, with Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney advocating for a more careful assessment that could preserve elements of the historic structure. The Scottish government is also looking into providing support for local businesses affected by the incident and establishing a ministerial board to coordinate recovery efforts.