Reuters
- A massive fire tore through 1,400 vehicles in a car park in central Liverpool.
- The blaze stranded many people after their New Year’s Eve celebrations.
- Cars were heard exploding “every few seconds” as firefighters battled to bring the inferno under control into the early hours of New Year’s Day.
A massive fire tore through up to 1,400 vehicles in a car park in central Liverpool, stranding many people after their New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Witnesses described grabbing possessions and running for their lives after the blaze broke out in an old Land Rover and rapidly spread to nearby vehicles.
Cars were heard exploding “every few seconds” as firefighters battled to bring the inferno under control into the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The Liverpool International Horse Show on New Year’s Eve was cancelled as a result.
Merseyside Police said initial investigations indicated that an “accidental fire within a vehicle caused other cars to ignite”.
No-one has been seriously injured, it added.
Sue Wright, wife of former England footballer Mark, said she witnessed the start of the blaze and said it was sparked by an engine fire in the 4×4.
She told the Mail Online: “It was an old car that exploded as we were leaving the building. We were in our minibus and one of the kids shouted, ‘there’s a fire!”‘
She added: “We’ve lost everything because our car was right next to the car that exploded. My handbag was in it, our cards, cash, everything. We just grabbed the keys and ran.”
Mrs Wright said the cars were “just popping every couple of seconds”.
Kevin Booth, 44, from Manchester, left his six-month-old Fiat 500 X in the Echo Arena car park as he took his wife Julie and 16-year-old daughter Holly to see the horse show as a treat.
“The flames and the smoke was unbelievable” Mr Booth said.
“People were saying that they would just wait and get their cars back. I thought, ‘Have you seen the fire? Are you joking?’ “
According to Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson the blaze started in a Land Rover on the third level of the car park.
Firefighters worked into the night trying to control the fire that began on Sunday afternoon.
Sue Wright, wife of former England footballer Mark, said she witnessed the start of the blaze and said it was sparked by an engine fire in the 4×4.
She told the Mail Online: “It was an old car that exploded as we were leaving the building. We were in our minibus and one of the kids shouted, ‘there’s a fire!”‘
She added: “We’ve lost everything because our car was right next to the car that exploded. My handbag was in it, our cards, cash, everything. We just grabbed the keys and ran.”
Mrs Wright said the cars were “just popping every couple of seconds”.
Kevin Booth, 44, from Manchester, left his six-month-old Fiat 500 X in the Echo Arena car park as he took his wife Julie and 16-year-old daughter Holly to see the horse show as a treat.
“The flames and the smoke was unbelievable” Mr Booth said.
“People were saying that they would just wait and get their cars back. I thought, ‘Have you seen the fire? Are you joking?’ “
According to Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson the blaze started in a Land Rover on the third level of the car park.
Firefighters worked into the night trying to control the fire that began on Sunday afternoon.
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