Residents and staff evacuated after Astley Ainslie fire

NEARLY 100 residents and staff at the Astley Ainslie Hospital have been evacuated after a blaze broke out in a ground floor ward.

Firefighters from across the Capital raced to the Grange Loan hospital after receiving an emergency call at 5.04pm today.

Eight firefighters battled the blaze in the Miles ward, which is part of the Balfour Pavilion, which was extinguished at 6.16pm.

A fire service spokeswoman said the extent of the damage and the cause of the fire had yet to be established.

The spokeswoman added that no one was injured during the incident while 78 patients and 12 staff were evacuated.

Fire crews from Tollcross, Marionville Road, Sighthill and McDonald Road attended the scene.

A police spokesman said that officers had assisted with road closures in the area to ensure the “smooth flow of traffic” while the incident was dealt with.