Flats evacuated after fire badly damages chip shop

The chip shop was badly damaged in the blaze

Flats above a chip shop had to be evacuated after a fire at the fast food business in Armagh.

The fire at Cordelia's, which is part of a bigger business complex on the Killylea Road, was discovered by the shop's owner on Sunday morning.

Milana Petruseviciute, who was working in a tanning salon next door to Cordelia's, said initially she thought the salon's sunbeds were on fire.

"I checked and everything was grand and then I looked up and there was smoke coming in through the ceiling," she told BBC News NI.

"I looked outside and everywhere was full of smoke. It was mental.

"There was a boy in the sunbed and I started banging and was like, 'you need to get out, you need to get out'."

Milana Petruseviciute said "everywhere was full of smoke"

Both the chip shop and flats above it were badly damaged, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said.

The tanning studio, an off-licence and a Chinese takeaway also suffered "significant water damage" in the incident.

Ms Petruseviciute said the inside of the tanning salon was "wrecked" and the roof had caved in.

Staff had to carry the till outside, she added.

Several other businesses were also damaged

Sinn Féin councillor Sarah Duffy praised the work of the fire service in making the scene safe and preventing further damage.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. No one was injured.

Five appliances were in attendance at the height of the blaze, which has now been extinguished.

The police have advised motorists to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.