Fears that the building will collapse entirely are growing.
A 45-metre exclusion zone has remained in place following the gutting of a Primark store in Belfast after an enormous blaze engulfed the city centre store on Tuesday.
According to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Services (NIFRS), over 30 firefighters, five fire appliances, a Command Support Unit and an Aerial Appliance are currently still in attendance at the incident at Primark on Castle Street in Belfast.
https://twitter.com/NIFRSOFFICIAL/status/1034738965784485889
The incident is ongoing and fire-fighting operations will continue throughout today.
The historic Bank Building was utterly destroyed as a result of the blaze, which broke out at around 11am on Tuesday morning. The fire, which was still burning on Wednesday, is being addressed by some 30 firefighters still at the scene.
The NIFRS revealed there has been "structural collapse" within the building, with growing fears that the rest of the building's exterior could collapse later in the week.
Engineers are also at the scene, examining the building to determine the integrity of the remaining structures.
Responding to news of the fire on Tuesday, Lord Mayor of Belfast Deirdre Hargey urged members of the public to exercise extreme caution.
“I would urge members of the public in the area to keep a safe distance from the site," Hargey said.
“Emergency services at the scene and responding. I would urge the public to be cautious and to assist the emergency services in whatever way possible."
https://twitter.com/DeirdreHargey/status/1034406794821554176
An emergency meeting, set to take place in Belfast on Wednesday, has been called following the blaze – which will aim to deal with issues for staff and nearby businesses.
Main image via Deirdre Hargey
