The demolition of a fire-hit block of flats in Perth has begun.
One man died and four others, including an eight-year-old girl, were injured after the fire on Scott Street early on Saturday.
About 50 families have been left homeless by the blaze.
Perth and Kinross Council confirmed on Monday night that the building will have to be demolished, with the work lasting up to 24 weeks.
On Tuesday, work began on site to dismantle the building.
First minister considers financial support after Perth fire
First Minister John Swinney also visited to speak to emergency workers.
The MSP for Perthshire North told The Courier that financial support for those affected from the Scottish Government is under consideration.
He said: “The council is engaging closely with the businesses and the families that are involved.
“There’s a huge amount of disruption to individuals who have been affected, and that dialogue will be ongoing.
“The council has raised with me issues about financial engagement with the government and, of course, we will consider all of these questions as part of the dialogue with the local authority.”
He added: “What’s clear is that the disruption to households and businesses is extensive.
“It’s very obvious in the building that it’s highly dangerous and needs to be dismantled with enormous care.
Demolition of Perth fire-hit flats spells disruption
“This will be disruptive to the city centre in Perth.
“The city centre is not without its challenges already, but we’ll obviously work closely with the council to try to avoid any recurring issues that are here for the council.”
David Farries, assistant chief officer at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, says the cause of the blaze is proving hard to determine.
He said: “There’s no indication at this stage what caused the fire.
“We’re going to have a really challenging situation with the building itself.
“You can see from the building that it’s required to be demolished, so that will absolutely restrict some of our activity in terms of that fire investigation.
“But we will be looking to do a full investigation and get to the cause of the fire.”
Mr Swinney’s visit included a stop at barbershop Top Class Deja Vu, on the edge of the South Street cordon – which has now been reduced in size.
Manager Ricardo Gramo welcomed the visit from the first minister.
He said: “It’s very good. It’s helpful for us to see him here.
“It’s much better now because this part of the road is open now so we can reopen our business.
“I’m happy, but I’m very sad for this situation. People were not as lucky as us.”
Several other businesses remain closed due to the fire and demolition work.
Sections of Scott Street and South Street will remain closed, with a new traffic layout being configured.
Call for accommodation providers to help displaced families
Perth and Kinross Council is continuing to seek accommodation providers to help rehouse those left without access to their homes.
A spokesperson said: “The condition of the building the fire occurred in means that it is structurally unsafe and will have to be demolished.
“But during the preparations and demolition work a number of other households who live in blocks very near the site have also been asked to move out of their homes during this time to ensure their safety.
“For some, this could mean being out of their homes between 16 and 24 weeks.
“Our housing team is working hard with all of the displaced residents to ensure they have suitable alternative suitable housing, as well as any other support they need at this difficult time.
“To assist with this, we are asking any local landlords or holiday let owners to get in touch with us if they have accommodation that is currently available.
“If you can help, contact our housing team at privatesectoraccess@pkc.gov.uk.”
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