Dozens of residents were forced to leave their homes early Sunday morning as firefighters battled a large blaze in Clacton, Essex, the United Kingdom.
Emergency crews responded swiftly to the building fire in the popular seaside town, working to contain the flames and ensure the safety of those affected, News.Az reports, citing The Sun.
Locals have been advised to keep their windows and doors shut as plumes of smoke rise from the building on West Avenue.
Teams from seven local fire stations, including Weeley, Colchester and Chelmsford, were scrambled to the scene at around 12.35am.
Pictures showed shocked residents watching on as fire crews battled to put out the blaze.
Essex County Fire and Rescue confirmed the building was still fully alight just before 2am.
Incident Commander Nick Singleton said: "Crews have worked hard to surround the fire.
"We will be remaining here for a significant time during the day to make sure the fire is fully extinguished.
"Jackson Road, Penfold Road and Agate Road will be shut and experience disruption while our crews remain at the incident.
"Thank you to our emergency services colleagues who have helped us safety evacuate nearby residents."
Premier Inn Clacton and Tendring District Council have set up a refuge centre for affected residents.
Essex Police were also called to the scene to assist firefighters as they tackled the blaze.
A spokesperson for the force said: "We are supporting our colleagues at the fire service who are leading on this incident.
"Please keep windows and doors shut and follow directions if you are being evacuated."
