Footage shows terrifying moment man clings to window while escaping fire at Bristol tower block

  • Man left clinging to window of Bristol tower block to escape flames


Footage taken as a fire raged in a top floor flat in Bristol shows the terrifying moment a man clings to the outside of a window trying to escape the flames.

Video from the scene shows the shape of a man precariously clinging onto a metal grate, 45 meters up.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning (September 25), and it is understood three men fled through the windows.

One man fell to his death while trying to escape. His identity has not yet been confirmed.

The other two made what the fire service described as a miraculous escape.

Iain Campbell, from Avon Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We don't lose sight of the fact that one person has tragically lost their life, but yes from what I have heard it is one of the most remarkable rescues I have heard of in my career."

It comes as residents say they are terrified of returning to their top-floor flats, claiming their fire alarms do not work properly.


  • Watch Rob Murphy's report


Aidroos Gabobe lives with his daughter Qamar on the 16th floor of the building.

Qamar told ITV News West Country she has had nightmares since the fire at the weekend.

She said: "[They are of] me falling from the 15th and our flat being on fire, because this guy died and I had a feeling I was going to die."

Samuel Smith, another resident at the block of apartments, said: "You need to hear to react and if you cannot hear you cannot react.

"It's a problem, that alarm, that intensity of the alarm will wake you, but if it's not going off or if there isn't anything in there to set it off, that's it - you're finished."

Fire officers confirmed the cause of the blaze yesterday (27 September) was a battery on an electric bike in a hallway.

The tower block's fire doors and emergency systems worked and Avon Fire and Rescue Service said it is fully up to date with building regulations.