Dramatic scenes unfolded in Manchester city centre today when the upper floors of a building containing Burger King and a vape shop burst into flames.

At around 11am today (March 1), fire crews were called to Piccadilly Gardens to reports of a fire in a commercial building on Market Street.

Dozens of shoppers and workers in the city centre reported a large presence of emergency services with several fire engines, ambulances and police deployed to the scene.

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Photographs and video footage also showed the floors above Burger King were on fire as thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky.

While the fast food chain and an adjacent vape shop were forced to close from the fire, the blaze also brought the city to a standstill for several hours with road closures and a police cordon in place from Mosley Street to Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens.

Also read: IN PICTURES: Manchester comes to standstill due to fire above Burger King

The Bee Network also suspended Metrolink tram services in and out of the city centre for several hours.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) confirmed seven fire engines from Manchester Central, Moss Side, Salford, Blackley, Broughton and Gorton were called to the scene.

The fire service said: "Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and a jet to extinguish the fire and made the area safe.

"Crews were in attendance for around four and a half hours.”

Greater Manchester Police also said while it remains unknown how the fire broke out, early indications suggest "this was not a fire started deliberately".

The force added: "This morning GMP, along with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) colleagues, attended reports of a fire at a premises above Burger King on Moseley Street in the Piccadilly Gardens area of Manchester City Centre.

"The fire was quickly extinguished by GMFRS and initial scene searches have, thankfully, not located any persons inside, with the fire contained to that specific premises."

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