Dozens of witnesses have shared their shock after an explosion and fireball from a van outside Westquay.

The fireball rose from a van which was on fire on Harbour Parade, near the Podium car park.

Scores of fire crews rushed to tackle the blaze, and remain on the scene now.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a large plume of smoke, visible across the city, and they expressed their shock at the blaze.

Kat Annells saw "loads of thick smoke" before "loads of emergency services" headed to the area".

Another witness, Mike Fellows, said: "There was a loud bang followed by a lot of dark smoke rising from behind the car park area, I'm uncertain of what area but it appears to be between West Quay and Ikea. A fire engine arrived fairly quickly."

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Crowds outside West QuayCrowds outside West Quay (Image: @JamesAB_FK)

Delivery driver Sheikh Emad Uddin Billal told the Echo: "I noticed a car on fire with a crowd of people watching - I stopped my motorcycle. As a delivery driver, I always pass this way."

Emily Robinson was on her way to work when she heard a loud bang from the train station. She said: “It is a big pillar of smoke. It looks like quite a large fire.

“There seemed to be at one point a big bang. That could have come from the fire.

“There was a fire engine that came down at speed past the bus I was on, so the fire crew are on their way.

“I was just wondering what was really going on. Especially because we have had so many fires recently.”