FIREFIGHTERS remain at the scene of a devastating inferno which destroyed a popular pub and historic cottages, leaving two families homeless.
Crew members from Weeley Fire Station and an aerial ladder platform team from Colchester Fire Station are currently in Church Street, Harwich.
They are dampening down several hotspots caused by a fire at the Hanover Inn pub which firefighters were called to shortly before 8am yesterday.
After evacuating the surrounding area, the blaze was eventually extinguished by just before 2pm, but crews remained at the site throughout the night.
A spokesman for the Essex Fire Service said: “An investigation to establish the cause of the fire is also underway. We have been working closely with our partners.”
The destructive inferno saw a total of 11 crews and two aerial ladder platforms team rush to the scene and resulted in two families becoming homeless.
Police officers and paramedics were also in attendance and power to 177 homes in the area was cut off due to safety concerns as firefighters tackled the devastation.
READ MORE: Everything we know after historic pub goes up in flames leaving families homeless
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here