Grant
Administrator
One of the best-known curry houses in the UK yesterday burned to the ground.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.
Mr Sattar is a well-known entrepreneur in Glasgow and also owned the former Creme de la Creme restaurant in the west end, which was recently demolished to make way for flats.
It was not immediately clear what damage had been done to neighbouring properties. The building adjacent to the restaurant houses the North Lodge, a backpackers' hostel.
Even before the final flames were extinguished, investigators from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and Strathclyde Police had launched an investigation into the cause.
© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
One of the best-known curry houses in the UK yesterday burned to the ground.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.
Mr Sattar is a well-known entrepreneur in Glasgow and also owned the former Creme de la Creme restaurant in the west end, which was recently demolished to make way for flats.
It was not immediately clear what damage had been done to neighbouring properties. The building adjacent to the restaurant houses the North Lodge, a backpackers' hostel.
Even before the final flames were extinguished, investigators from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and Strathclyde Police had launched an investigation into the cause.
© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
One of the best-known curry houses in the UK yesterday burned to the ground.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.
Mr Sattar is a well-known entrepreneur in Glasgow and also owned the former Creme de la Creme restaurant in the west end, which was recently demolished to make way for flats.
It was not immediately clear what damage had been done to neighbouring properties. The building adjacent to the restaurant houses the North Lodge, a backpackers' hostel.
Even before the final flames were extinguished, investigators from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and Strathclyde Police had launched an investigation into the cause.
© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
One of the best-known curry houses in the UK yesterday burned to the ground.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.
Mr Sattar is a well-known entrepreneur in Glasgow and also owned the former Creme de la Creme restaurant in the west end, which was recently demolished to make way for flats.
It was not immediately clear what damage had been done to neighbouring properties. The building adjacent to the restaurant houses the North Lodge, a backpackers' hostel.
Even before the final flames were extinguished, investigators from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and Strathclyde Police had launched an investigation into the cause.
© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
One of the best-known curry houses in the UK yesterday burned to the ground.
The award-winning Cafe India in Glasgow was destroyed by a fire which closed off a section of the city centre.
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received dozens of calls just after 3pm as a colossal plume of black smoke rose out of the restaurant on North Street, near the city's Mitchell Library.
Within a matter of minutes massive flames had broken through the roof and were licking the outside of the single-storey restaurant in Charing Cross.
As seven fire engines from stations all over Glasgow went to the scene, hundreds of Christmas shoppers gathered to watch the spectacle.
The restaurant, which was scheduled to be demolished within weeks to make way for new flats, was a favourite with many famous people, including the late Donald Dewar, who always dined at table 20.
It was as popular with celebrities such as Elton John and Sir Sean Connery as it was with office workers.
Firefighters initially tried to tackle the blaze from inside, but were forced back.
As the building was engulfed by flames the ceiling fell in, then large structural beams began collapsing.
Five staff members were in the building when the fire broke out, but the restaurant was closed at the time so there were no diners inside.
A chef claimed the fire started in a vent above a coal-fired oven used to make naan bread.
The owner, Abdul Sattar, said he "felt sick" when he received the call telling him that his business was ablaze.