A major fire broke out on Thursday morning in a ten-storey building in the former Bata shoe factory complex in Zlin, Czech Republic, causing an estimated 60 to 80 million korunas in damage to footwear inventory.
The blaze started before 8:30 a.m. in a ninth-floor warehouse leased by shoe company Vasky and spread to the upper floors and roof of the structure, which was built between 1949 and 1955. Firefighters declared a special-level alarm, deploying 19 units and 28 pieces of equipment to the scene. About 100 people were evacuated from the ninth floor.
No injuries have been reported. City authorities urged residents in the centre and Letná district to keep windows closed, while police cordoned off the area. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.