Man falls to his death after Bristol tower block fire
25 September 2022, 16:32
A man who died in a Bristol tower block fire is thought to have plunged to his death after climbing out of his window in a bid to escape the blaze.
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Emergency services were called to the fire at Twinnell House in Bristol in the early hours of Sunday morning (September 25).
One man died in the incident, but the fire was "quickly extinguished", according to Avon and Somerset police.
Eight people are in hospital - one for minor burns and seven for smoke inhalation - and three more were treated at the scene by paramedics.
Around 90 residents have been evacuated and a rest centre has been set up in a nearby church, where Bristol council are supporting about 40 people.
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Police said they believed "the man fell after he climbed out of a window to try and escape the fire".
A senior officer said there would be a full investigation into the deadly fire, which took place in the north-east of the city.
"This is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life," Superintendent Tony Blatchford said.
"While formal identification has not yet been carried out, we believe we know who the man is and have informed his next of kin. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
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"Enquiries into what happened have already begun and we will work closely with the fire service to fully understand what started the fire and how the man sadly died.
"I'd like to thank those who have been evacuated from their homes for their co-operation and understanding and promise them all agencies are working hard to enable them to return home as quickly as possible."
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Local roads were closed off in the aftermath of the incident, to give emergency services easy access to the block.
Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol, tweeted: "My thoughts today are with the family and friends of the person who tragically lost their life in the fire at Twinnell House.
"We are providing welfare support and emergency accommodation to the affected residents. Thank you to the emergency services for their swift response."
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Avon Fire and Rescue Service sent 11 fire engines to the scene.
Dave Hodges, duty group commander, said: "On arrival crews were faced with a serious fire on the 16th floor and deployed crews wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the fire and assist residents.
"The upper floors have been damaged by smoke and fire, and water damage has affected many flats on lower floors.
"The fire has now been contained and fire crews remain in attendance making the scene safe. We are working with our partner agencies to support the local community during this difficult time.
"Our sincere condolences go to the friends and family of the deceased."
A spokeswoman for Bristol City Council said that residents would be given temporary accommodation while their flats were unusable.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the individual who has tragically lost their life in this incident," she said.
"We're grateful for the swift action of all emergency services and council officers involved to tackle this fire and support residents to the nearby place of safety.
"Officers are currently supporting the efforts under way to assess the damage and understand how the fire started.
