Body found at scene of 'severe' fire in disused building
A body has been found in a disused building where four others were rescued from a "severe" fire.
Around 50 firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze on Soho Hill, Handsworth, Birmingham, at around 4.45am on Tuesday.
The main pockets of fire were confirmed as extinguished by around 8am.
Fire crews at the scene successfully rescued four people from the burning three-storey building via a ladder from the second floor.
West Midlands Fire Service however confirmed at around 5.17pm that a body had been discovered inside the property.
A spokesperson for the service said: "The dangerous condition of the building means that our firefighters and fire investigators have been unable to enter it. The entire first and second floors, plus the roof space, were involved in the fire.
"We are working closely with West Midlands Police, the city council and the owner of the building to ensure that the building is safe before we can recover the body.
"Local road closures remain in place for public safety."
The fire service and police are working together to ascertain the cause of the fire.
West Midlands Police said in a statement: "We're investigating after a body was found following a fire at a building in Handsworth today.
"The body was found inside the property on Soho Hill this morning. A post-mortem will be held in due course to establish the cause of death.
"We are liaising closely with West Midlands Fire Service to understand the cause of the fire.
"Anyone with information has been asked to get in touch, quoting log 412 of December 19."
Around 75 per cent of the building was reportedly affected by the fire, including the entire first and second floors and roof space.
