ONE person was tonight still unaccounted for after a major fire brought part of Newcastle city centre to a standstill.

A huge pall of smoke was visible for miles after the blaze broke out shortly before 9am this morning day at Kard Bar on Cross Street. 

Fire crews were tonight working by floodlight using hose reels and a ventilator to damp down to two areas of the gutted building which continue to give off extreme heat.

A meeting will be held in the morning with police, city council and other partners to assess whether it is safe to enter the building, following a partial collapse of some floors, to allow a thorough search and begin an investigation into the cause.

Concerns were expressed locally about a person who might have been caught up in the fire which affected all four floors of the building and caused the roof to collapse.

The Northern Echo:

Tyne and Wear Fire Service Assistant Chief Officer John Baines said there were three floors above the card shop which were used for storage.

"One person is unaccounted for but we cannot confirm if they are inside or not at this stage," he said.

“While there has not been anyone reported missing we are relying on information from colleagues about an individual that was connected with the premises. 

“There were no reports of any cries for help by members of the public and our crews did not report that when they arrived.”

Mr Baines urged people to avoid the area while crews continued to tackle the incident, adding: "It has been a very difficult and arduous operation."

Surrounding roads were closed to traffic and nearby shops and student accommodation had to be evacuated and at its  height over 55 firefighters on 11 appliances were deployed along with two Aerial Ladder Platforms and a command unit.

It took more than five hours to bring the blaze under control.

Old records, memorabilia, posters and cards quickly went up in flames, causing thick acrid smoke to billow across the city.

Police liaised with the occupants of the surrounding buildings, including more than 80 students from International House, who had to be evacuated. 

Superintendent Bruce Storey of Northumbria Police said: "No-one has been reported missing at this time."

He said there may have been an occupant in the building at the time, but the police could not confirm or deny that.

"Should anyone be concerned there is someone they cannot account for, our appeal would be for them to contact the police in the normal way, via 101," he said