University counts cost of fire damage

People were evacuated from the building

A serious fire on the main campus of Glasgow University is likely to have caused nearly £5m of damage.

The university's principal revealed that the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday at about 1330 BST, devastated the 100-year-old Bower building just off University Avenue.

Professor Sir Graeme Davies said that a substantial amount of research had been lost in the fire.

But he stressed that students' work will not be adversely affected.

The secne was shrouded in smoke

Strathclyde Fire Brigade said the fire was brought under control shortly after 1700 BST.

A spokeswoman said: "Fire officers are still at the scene and there will be an extensive salvage operation.

"This will be a protracted incident."

Earlier in the day, 12 fire engines were at the scene as efforts continued to bring the blaze under control.

Hundreds of students and staff were evacuated from the area after flames took hold in the roofspace of the three-storey building.

The power was also cut in at least one adjacent building and radioactive isotopes had to be removed from nearby sites.

Parts of Kelvin Way and University Avenue were closed leading to traffic disruption and the area was shrouded in smoke.

The Bower building, which houses two botany laboratories, is used mainly as an administrative centre for teaching courses in life sciences.