James Dowden, Co-Editor-in-Chief
A man has died following a fire that broke out at a tower block in the early hours of Sunday morning, police have reported.
Eleven fire engines were dispatched to deal with the blaze which started at approximately 2:15 on the sixteenth floor of the council-owned residence Twinnell House on Stapleton Road, Easton.
The man is believed to have died after falling while trying to escape.
In total 90 people were evacuated from the residence.
The Duty Group Commander for Avon Fire and Rescue service, Dave Hodges, said that 'the fire has now been contained and fire crews remain in attendance making the scene safe. We are working with our partner agencies to support the local community during this difficult time. Our sincere condolences go to the friends and family of the deceased.'
Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Tony Blatchford added that 'this is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life. While formal identification has not yet been carried out, we believe we know who the man is and have informed his next of kin.
'Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. Inquiries into what happened have already begun and we will work closely with the fire service to fully understand what started the fire and how the man sadly died.'
A rest centre was set up to provide welfare support by the council at St. Nicholas Of Tolentino RC Church.
Seven people were taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation while one was admitted with burns.
Emergency services attended to three others at the site of the fire.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees offered his condolences in a tweet saying that 'My thoughts today are with the family and friends of the person who tragically lost their life in the fire at Twinnell House. We are providing welfare support and emergency accommodation to the affected residents. Thank you to the emergency services for their swift response.'
