Part of Royal Albion Hotel to be demolished so fire crews can reach blaze – Brighton and Hove News

Part of the Royal Albion Hotel is to be demolished so that fire crews can better reach the blaze which is still not out.

But more than 24 hours after the fire started at the Brighton seafront hotel, there are safety concerns, notably that the building could collapse.

It has also been revealed that not everyone is accounted for.

No casualties have been reported and the building was believed to have been successfully evacuated although this has yet to be confirmed.

The fire service is hoping for a controlled demolition as it tries to stop the fire spreading from the old part of the hotel to the newer part.

But the fire, which appeared to start on the third floor, has spread to the first floor and gutted much of the old part of the hotel.

The windy conditions fanned the fire and hampered efforts to tackle the blaze.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is liaising with Brighton and Hove City Council and Sussex Police about the proposed demolition.

The road by the hotel is currently closed and looks unlikely to reopen until tomorrow (Monday 17 July).

At 5pm, the fire service said: “Six fire appliances and two aerial ladder platforms remain on the scene.

“Firefighters are concentrating their efforts on extinguishing the fire on the west wing of the building.

“Road closures are currently being reviewed.”