Fire crews forced to flee 'gas' blast hotel

Firefighters were today forced to flee a hotel which was hit by a suspected gas blast over fears the building was about to collapse.

Fire crews had been searching the Drumtochty Arms Hotel in Auchenblae, Aberdeenshire, where three people were seriously injured following yesterday's explosion.

But after signs of movement were spotted in the structure Grampian Fire and Rescue Service moved its crew out of the building.

It said it was awaiting an assessment from structural engineers before deciding whether it was safe to resume its search and rescue operation.

The building partially collapsed following the explosion at about 5.30pm yesterday.

A man in his 20s, another man in his 50s, and a woman were taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

It is thought that two of them were members of staff and the other was a customer.

NHS Grampian said last night that all three had suffered serious injuries and today described their conditions as stable.

Police said the explosion appeared to be linked to a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder at the back of the building.

A joint inquiry by Grampian Police and Grampian Fire and Rescue Service is under way.

Everyone in the hotel is believed to have been accounted for, but fire chiefs were conducting a precautionary "search and rescue operation" through the night through a 5ft pile of rubble.

Mike Gray, the fire service's station manager attached to Aberdeenshire Command, confirmed that operations had been suspended.

He said: "Due to signs of collapse in the building, and following conversations with the local authority and structural engineers, we are withdrawing everyone from the building because of the potential for collapse."

Mr Gray said there was potential for one side of the building to collapse.

He added: "We have had a further shift in the building which has caused some concern, and the structure itself is clearly not sound.

"It may mean that we have to get heavy demolition equipment to assist us."

Mr Gray said that "in all likelihood" there was no one else within the building, but that would only be confirmed once all the rubble was removed.

He said firefighters had been working through the night and "will probably still be here tomorrow".

The fire service have confirmed the building had been recently refurbished and they would be investigating whether that was linked to the explosion.

There is not believed to be a mains gas supply in Auchenblae.

Nearby residents described how their houses shook after the explosion.

William Barry, a neighbour living a few doors down from the hotel, described hearing a "great big boom".

He said: "Everybody was standing at their doors to see what was going on.

"I myself felt the house shake but I had no idea what was happening."