A GARDA investigation is underway this morning into a major fire at a hotel and apartment complex building in Dublin.
More than 150 guests of a Dublin Hotel have been safely evacuated after the fire broke out last night.
Crews from Dublin Fire Brigade remain at the scene after they managed to bring the blaze in the upper storeys of the Metro Hotel in Ballymun under control in the early hours of this morning.
The fire broke out on the 13th floor and spread to surrounding floors.
The residents were transferred to the nearby Carlton Hotel for the night.
Ballymun Road inbound reopened to traffic this morning, however, there is no access to Santry Avenue which remains closed.
The bus lane on Ballymun Road inbound at the Metro Hotel remains coned off for safety reasons.
Homeless organisation Peter McVerry Trust confirmed no families are currently placed in the hotel by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and neither were there any homeless families staying there who had booked their own accommodation.
Chief Fire Officer Patrick Fleming told RTE's Morning Ireland that the fire was not a "Grenfell tower type situation".
He continued: "At the height of the fire we had up to 60 firefighters on the scene. Credit must also go to An Garda Siochana for their relentless work through the night.
"We have no indication that it was in any way suspicious at this stage, but an investigation will get underway this morning."
We'll have 4 fire engines on scene at the #BallymunFire overnight to damp down & extinguish hot spots. Road closures are likely to affect traffic in the morning #Dublin #fire #Ballymun @DCCTraffic @aaroadwatch pic.twitter.com/qewyJlUvHV
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) March 22, 2018
8 fire engines, advanced paramedics & other specialist appliances are now attending the fire in #Ballymun. Severe traffic delays, please avoid the area to enable us to access the fireground #Dublin #fire pic.twitter.com/XLoS7lOD2L
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) March 21, 2018
A garda investigation is due to get under way into last night's fire at the Dublin Metro Hotel. https://t.co/VjjXrIBdje pic.twitter.com/IH94BmpzUW
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) March 22, 2018
