Visitors Unable to Leave Glasgow Following Union Street Fire
Tourists visiting Glasgow have reported being unable to leave the city after a significant fire on Union Street.
The voco Grand Central hotel remains closed following the fire on Sunday night, which destroyed buildings at the corner of Union Street adjacent to Central Station.
The closure of the hotel has left guests without access to passports, medication, and personal belongings, preventing some from departing the country.
Emily Meekel and Victor Buitenhuis's Experience
Emily Meekel and Victor Buitenhuis were in Glasgow for work before planning to travel to London and then the Netherlands to visit family prior to Emily's expected childbirth in May. Instead, they have found themselves unable to leave.
The Grand Central hotel, owned by IHG, is collaborating with emergency services and authorities to regain access to the building.
No injuries were reported from the fire, which is believed to have originated in a vape shop on Union Street.
Emily and Victor currently reside in Birmingham but are originally from the Netherlands, where they intended to be this weekend.
The couple had planned to stay in Glasgow from Saturday until Monday for Emily to attend a work event, then travel to London for another work engagement before visiting family in the Netherlands over the weekend.
They contacted BBC Your Voice after the fire to share their situation.
The couple were out with friends when the fire news broke. They then received a message from IHG advising them not to return to the Grand Central and that alternative accommodation was being arranged.
"Nobody knows anything, so we have just been checking in with the hotel and they say 'not today, maybe tomorrow'," said Victor.
"We've been to the site and obviously the building needs to be kept safe - we understand that and it's awful what happened to all the businesses.
"But we are a bit stuck now. One of the ladies I spoke to from the hotel said they would maybe look at getting passports and medicine out first.
"It is just a waiting game now, waiting around and trying to manage everything back in the Netherlands and with work."
The couple were eventually able to collect their passports on Wednesday afternoon but were informed that other belongings would remain inaccessible until 21 March.
Emily works for the University of Birmingham but completed her undergraduate studies in Glasgow several years ago.
Currently 28 weeks pregnant with their first child, Emily was pleased to be visiting the city but had not anticipated remaining beyond Monday night.
"We spent yesterday going and getting clothes, toothbrushes and things like that.
"The biggest problem is the passports, but my laptop and hard drive is in there with all my work stuff too. I'm calmer now but it was really stressful at first, having a panic about everything.
"It's like we're hostages to the city, in the best possible way."
The couple emphasized that ensuring the area's safety and preventing injury are the priorities. They also expressed gratitude for the support from friends.
"It's a bit of an overwhelming feeling, because you can't do anything," said Victor.
"You hear maybe a couple of days but then maybe a couple of weeks from somewhere else and you're left waiting. Obviously you want to make sure the station is safe, but we are sort of stuck here now."
The couple plan to depart Glasgow on Thursday evening now that they have their passports.
IHG and Local Authority Response
A spokesperson for IHG stated:
"Following a fire at a neighbouring building on Sunday, voco Grand Central was safely evacuated as a precaution. No guests and colleagues were harmed.
"The hotel remains temporarily closed while we continue to work closely with the emergency services and relevant authorities.
"On the advice of the authorities, access to the hotel is currently restricted. The team is working as quickly and safely as possible to support guests in being reunited with their passports and essential belongings."
Impact on Glasgow Central Station Services
Glasgow Central station has reopened for low-level services connecting the city centre with parts of Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. However, trains departing from the main high-level station will not resume until at least Monday.
