A listed building in Belfast has been destroyed after a fire that forced the closure of roads in the city centre.
Firefighters were called to the blaze at a derelict building on North Street in the early hours of today.
The operation to douse the flames included six fire engines, two aerial appliances and 40 firefighters.
The building at 166-174 North Street is a B2-listed site with an estimated construction date of 1899, making it a Victorian-era build, according to the Ulster Architectural Society.
The site, neighbouring the CastleCourt shopping centre, close to the Cathedral Quarter, was once used as an art school as well as for offices, warehouse and shops, but had become derelict.
Several buildings in Belfast city centre have been hit by fires in recent years.
In April a blaze at the sight of a former nightclub in the Mays Meadow area was treated as a "deliberate ignition" by the PSNI.
The listed Old Cathedral Building in the Cathedral Quarter - less than half a mile from the fire at North Street - was gutted by fire in October 2022.
A number of buildings in the North Street area are listed for their architectural importance.
Ani Kanakaki-Ainsworth, head of marketing and communications at the Linen Hall, the oldest library in Belfast, said the loss of a Victorian-era building was "very, very sad".
"Landmarks of our city, they are connected with the histories, with the people. People will remember them since they were young children, walking about to see all these landmarks gone, it's devastating."
The Linen Hall, which was founded in 1788, remains open to the public.
Ms Kanakaki-Ainsworth said the number of fires in historical buildings in Belfast is a worry.
"It’s a big, big concern. In our organisation we’re lucky enough ... we didn’t have an incident (of a fire) in many, many, many years.
"But it doesn’t make it any less sad or any less worrying for everybody else."
A large section of the city centre was cordoned off as a result of the fire, including North Street, Millfield, Union Street, Royal Avenue, Gresham Street and Winetavern Street.
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) group commander Gerry Clifton confirmed the fire had been extinguished.
"The cause of the fire remains under investigation and we will continue to work with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and our other partner agencies during the course of the investigation. NIFRS received the initial call at 2.40am this morning," he said.
"At the height of the incident there were 40 firefighters and eight officers involved in the firefighting operation. Six Fire Appliances from Central, Whitla, Springfield, Westland & Cadogan, a Command Support Unit from Lisburn & two Aerial Appliances from Springfield and Knock attended the incident.
"Our Firefighters worked tirelessly throughout the duration of the incident to ensure that the fire was brought under control and prevented the spread to nearby premises in Belfast City Centre.
"We would like to thank the public for their patience whilst we dealt with the incident."
Police confirmed that roads in the city centre have reopened.
