Passerby tried to tackle vape shop blaze that led to inferno

An eyewitness has told the BBC how he tried to tackle a fire at a vape shop next to Glasgow Central station but had to abandon the attempt after a series of explosions.

The fire at the shop in Union Street broke out at about 15:45 on Sunday and led to the entire building being engulfed in an inferno that caused its partial collapse.

Lamin Kongira told BBC Scotland News he had been walking past when a shopkeeper ran out saying "fire, fire".

"I ran into the shop and I saw a small fire under the counter," he said.

Lamin then dashed next door to the Subway sandwich shop to get help.

He said he came back with a fire extinguisher and tried to fight the fire.

But two explosions in the vape shop meant that he had to turn around and shout at passers-by to "get back".

Lamin said he thought it was the second explosion that spread the fire to other parts of the building.

Video posted on X shows Lamin trying to keep people away from the shop as smoke billows from its doorway.

Lamin - originally from Gambia but living in Glasgow since 2009 - said: "We tried to find a way to sort it out.

"What was going through my head was the survival of people.

"When I see there is no way I can control it, I quickly run to block the road."

He added that after firefighters turned up and started battling the blaze he "had to stand and watch".

"Seeing the fire in its small form and now it has consumed the whole city, it is horrible," he said.

Later on Sunday evening, the flames from the fire spread throughout the 19th Century building and its famous dome, and parts of the building were seen to collapse.

Glasgow Central Station has been closed to all trains since Sunday afternoon and will remain shut during Monday at least.

Many businesses have been destroyed in the fire. Nearby hotels were evacuated and roads were sealed off.

On Monday morning, fire crews used aerial platforms to hose water on to what remained of the building, as smoke hung in the air.

Only the facade of the building at the corner of Gordon Street and Union Street is left standing.

People standing watching at the police cordon spoke of their shock.

Emma Reid, from Glasgow, said: "It's just so sad. It's such an iconic building. It's so sad."

Rumaisah Imrane, originally from Glasgow but now living in Edinburgh, said: "It's terrifying, it looks like the whole building is just gone.

"It's such a beautiful part of the city and Central station is such a lovely building."

Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney said there are now concerns for the viability of the remainder of the building, which was gutted by the blaze.

"It's been completely wiped out, destroyed. I mean the building is a gutted shell. It looks like something out of the Blitz.

"I spoke to building control officers last night on site. They don't have much hope that the building can be saved at all.

"We wait and see what their final decisions are but it sounds like the remaining facade on to Gordon Street is likely to have to come down, unfortunately."