Manchester fire: Evacuated students worry over rising hotel bills
Worried students who were evacuated from their city-centre apartments following a huge fire at a neighbouring building said they still did not know when they will be allowed to return.Residents of two blocks were told to leave their flats on Monday after the disused Hotspur Press building in Manchester city centre was engulfed in flames.Jack Guo, a student from China, said he could not afford to stay in a hotel for very long, adding: "We're unsure where we're going next because the price is rising."Manchester City Council said it was trying to help but pointed out it did not have any statutory responsibility to rehome people living in privately rented accommodation.
'Very challenging'
The authority said the responsibility lay with the building's manager and others.A council spokesperson said it was liaising with them to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities to residents.Mr Guo said the council "helped us through this very challenging situation and we appreciate that. We're unsure what will happen next."Hotspur House, a 225-year-old former printing press and mill on Cambridge Street, close to Manchester Oxford Road railway station, partially collapsed following the fire.The building was destroyed after strong winds whipped up the flames, causing the blaze to spread rapidly throughout the building's wooden internal structure.As firefighters battled to get the blaze under control, embers reached 1 Cambridge Street, resulting in the blocks' evacuation.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
41 minutes ago
- BBC News
Meet the Isle of Wight carpenter behind rescued bears enclosure
The carpenter who built an enclosure for two "naughty" rescued brother bears says it feels "amazing" to see them Tweitman helped create the enclosure for Benji and Balu at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary on the Isle of has been almost a year in the making to create the enclosure for the bears, who were saved from a cage in Azerbaijan and released into the sanctuary on 4 Tweitman says it was "quite emotional" to see the bears splashing around in the water - even if they recently damaged part of their new enclosure. The bears were recently moved into a smaller pen while repairs were made to part of their new home, but have since been chief executive, Lawrence Bates, said they had a "notoriously curious nature" and jokingly called them "naughty bears" after they damaged a brick. Mr Tweitman explained the 3,500sqm (11,483 sqft) enclosure was made through "lots of recycling and re-using" to keep costs materials have been used to make the bear platform and the connecting ramp in the bears' new the local marina donated concrete boat floats to build the structure."Actually building an enclosure for bears - everything is supersized, super engineered and structurally a lot safer. There's zoo regulations to follow, guidelines and stuff so the bears don't escape," Mr Tweitman said."[There was] a lot of thought about putting in a rock slide to hang out on and sunbathe. All sorts of things that cropped up as we built, adding in extra mounds for privacy, hibernation holes." About two years ago, the bears were relocated by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to a temporary had been previously kept in a cage at a restaurant in Azerbaijan to attract 2024, Wildheart Animal Sanctuary started a fundraising campaign to pay for the bears' transport and brand new home, with almost £218,000 raised. Mr Tweitman added: "We broke ground last August I think, obviously it was time critical getting the bears here."It's absolute madness really, to think the amount of work and effort that everyone's put in to this build for two bears."It's quite emotional just to see them splashing around in the water, just happy." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Ipswich charity marks 10 years of 'learning and creativity'
A charity which works with "those at the margins of society" was holding a series of events to mark its 10th Community Media (ICM), which runs language courses and a range of youth projects, was founded in 2015, with no funding or then, the charity said it had connected with 60,000 people through workshops, events, and Bruce MacGregor said: "This milestone is about more than what we've achieved; it's how we've done it: through participants, volunteers, staff, partnerships, passion, and trust."The charity celebrated with a town parade last week, with a music and food event set to run over the weekend. A parade through Ipswich town centre was held on Saturday, 21 June, accompanied by drummers and people wearing cultural dress.A birthday party with live music, dance and international food was planned to be held on the following Saturday at St Stephen's Church music was also an event to launch a new music video and EP created by South Street Kids - one of the ICM projects which engages 7-12 year olds, at the Eastern Angles Connected, an online alumni network, was also being developed to mark the anniversary. ESOL Integration team manager and co-founder Linda Vines said: "It's a place where we bring people together, we empower them, they feel safe, they feel heard."Reflecting on the start of the charity, she told BBC Radio Suffolk: "There were nine of us. "We were made redundant from our previous employment, and we had a dream really. We started off with nothing, basically, and we were able to build."Initially, ICM was able to use a room inside the Ipswich Council for Racial Equality office, before moving youth projects into South Street Studios and language teaching into space on St Matthew's Street in 2019."Gradually, we were able to secure some after 10 years, we have had over 2,000 learners who have come through the integration team," she Puchala, who joined in 2016 and now works for ICM as a maternity project co-ordinator, said: "I started as a learner, then a volunteer as a community champion, and now I'm in my fourth year of working for ICM."This shows what you can achieve if you have the right level of support." ICM in Numbers 2,112 learners have accessed English language coursesThey worked with people from more than 40 different nationalities 249 young people engage each year in youth and music programmes900-plus advice sessions were run supporting people navigating life in a new country110 volunteers have contributed time, skills, and energyMore than 60,000 people have been connected through workshops, events, and performances Gulshan Kayembe, chair of the board of trustees and current High Sheriff of Suffolk, said: "Over the past ten years, Ipswich Community Media has championed local stories, provided vital education and skills training, and created spaces for people of all backgrounds to come together to learn and to grow. "It has created a 'family' that no one wants to leave and where everyone who it has touched, who has been part of the ICM journey, wants to come back." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Tim Dowling: how can my wife live without her glasses – and even her phone?
It is early in the morning, and my wife and I are setting off on a long car journey. My wife is driving; I am looking at my phone. It is my plan to look at my phone for at least the first hour, even though it is unlikely my wife will allow this. 'Bit hazy,' she says. 'Hmm,' I say, looking at my phone. 'But I think it might burn off later,' she says. 'What?' I say, forcing my eyes up to the horizon. 'Never mind,' my wife says, turning on the radio. I return to my phone. 'Sorry, will you clean these please?' my wife says, handing me her glasses. 'What?' I say. Instead of answering, she drops her glasses into my lap. Reluctantly I put down my phone, pull out the hem of my shirt, and fog the lenses with my breath. 'By the way, I don't approve of this,' I say, overtaken by irritation. 'Of what?' she says. 'I mean, first, I can't believe how filthy these glasses are,' I say. 'I know,' she says. 'That's why I asked you to …' 'And second,' I say. 'I can't believe you didn't notice until we'd done eight miles on the motorway.' 'I just realised the haze I was seeing was on my glasses,' she says. 'That's the best I can do,' I say, handing her glasses back. 'Much better, thank you,' she says. 'It's not safe,' I say. After a few minutes spent looking at my phone, my irritation subsides. I remind myself that my wife doesn't need her glasses the way I need my glasses: she will sometimes lose them for an entire weekend without suffering any particular inconvenience. I couldn't take off my glasses while driving without quickly crashing into a bridge support. Something I've seen on my phone catches my attention. 'Interesting,' I say. 'Guess how many …' 'No,' my wife says. 'Wait, just guess how many countries have a …' 'You didn't want to chat,' she says. 'Don't try to start a conversation now, using facts you found on your phone.' 'Fine,' I say. I take off my glasses to clean them, and the world ahead becomes a blur. Two days later, it is time to set off for home, but my wife can't find her phone. 'I swear I just had it,' she says, coming back from the car. 'Will you ring it?' 'Straight to voicemail,' I say, holding my own phone to my ear. 'Why is it doing that?' she says. 'It's fully charged.' 'Probably because there's no signal wherever you left it,' I say. In practical terms, this means outside, and it's raining outside. We try to approach the problem logically. My wife's laptop indicates the last picture she took on her phone was of a nearby pond, only 35 minutes previously. 'And then what?' I say. 'Did you fling it into the pond?' 'I went across that meadow, through the gate, and then to the car,' she says. 'But I really don't think I would have left my phone outside.' 'I once found your phone in the crook of the tree,' I say. 'That was different,' she says. 'I was listening to the Archers omnibus while I was weeding.' My wife returns to the pond, while I walk the meadow twice over, getting soaked. I am longing, for reasons both admirable and shameful, to be the person who finds the phone. But I don't see how anyone could find anything in this expanse of long grass. As I approach the car, the rain turning heavy, I see my wife coming. When she sees me she holds her phone above her head. 'Where was it?' I say. 'It was lying on a stone wall, getting rained on,' she says. 'I think I was taking a picture, and then my shoe was untied, and then … never mind.' 'Let's go,' I say. As we drive the sky begins to clear toward the east. The recent rain and the warm weather have caused the hedgerows to explode with growth. 'I'm glad we found it,' my wife says. 'It felt very uncomfortable not having my phone.' I do not say what I am thinking, which is: people who are truly uncomfortable without their phones don't leave them on stone walls in the rain. I need to be an exemplar of patience, if only because I so often try the patience of others. As we approach an intersection made blind by fresh greenery, my wife hands me her glasses. 'Will you clean these?' she says. 'Of course,' I say.
