The fire broke out around the rooftop Babel Bar, part of the Bullitt Hotel on Church Lane. The road around the hotel was closed while many fire brigades were deployed from all over the city. The photos showed smoke gushing from the terrace and flooding the side streets with dense smoke before being brought under control by aerial devices used to pour water from above. Read more:Road to downtown Belfast closes as firefighters face blaze in Babel A witness, who was evacuated from Babel earlier, told Belfast Live: “I had headed to the hotel bar right after work around 4.30pm. “At that stage there was already a fog in the city center, but soon there was an overwhelming smell of burning. We were evacuated immediately afterwards. There was smoke coming from the top floor of the building.” “The police were everywhere with the ambulance and the fire brigade and so everything seemed to escalate quite quickly, but it seems like a very elegant operation now. “There are still people walking in Victoria Square, but there is no traffic in the area and there is no sign of visible black smoke at the moment. I think the hotel residents are now wondering what will happen next regarding their stay.” Images of the incident show a pile of smoke rising from the area, The Fire and Rescue Service of Northern Ireland reported at 8.30 p.m. the fire was under control and at one point 60 staff members were mobilized to bring the incident under control. In a tweet, they said: “The Church Lane response team included eight fire engines, an aircraft, a rescue team, an administration support unit and five officers – with a total of about 60 people. In a statement, Babel confirmed that all staff and residents had been evacuated and no injuries were reported. They said: “We can confirm that a fire has broken out in the hotel. Fortunately all guests and staff have been evacuated safely. Thank you very much to the emergency services for such a quick response. We are currently awaiting more details.” The rooftop bar is part of the Bullitt Hotel complex on Ann Street in the city center (Image: Press Eye Ltd) Colin Neal, CEO of Hospitality Ulster, described the fire as “catastrophic”.
He said: “We understand that emergency services are currently dealing with the fire. Hospitality Ulster will do everything we can to support the administration and staff as the situation evolves.” An image showing the fire from opposite The PSNI confirmed that the road is likely to remain closed for several hours and possibly until Wednesday. A spokesman said: “Motorists are informed that Victoria Street in downtown Belfast is currently closed due to a fire in the area and will remain closed for the next few hours. “Motorists are advised to make alternative movements and avoid the area at this time. “The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is present at the moment.” There were heavy traffic jams across the city, Translink said, and public transport was severely disrupted with many bus routes being diverted. Read more:In Photos: Firefighters fight fire at Bullitt Hotel in downtown Belfast Read more:Live updates as a fire breaks out at Babel in downtown Belfast To receive the latest news directly in your inbox, subscribe to our free newsletter.