A massive fire in the centre of Arnhem has damaged over a dozen 18th- and 19th-century buildings, and between eight and 10 have been destroyed.

The fire broke out shortly before 4 am in the Jansstraat shopping street and spread quickly to neighbouring premises due to their wooden construction. Some 20 to 30 apartments above the shops can also be considered “lost,” officials said.

Police and fire officials had to work flat out to rescue people living in the apartments above the retail premises. “As yet, we don’t know if we got everyone out because the intensity of the blaze meant we could not access the buildings,” René Bierman from the regional fire brigade told local broadcaster Omroep Gelderland.

Zeer grote brand in centrum Arnhem, ‘asbest vrijgekomen’ https://t.co/C5Y9q0owMh

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Locals, around 50 according to the Telegraaf, were taken to the town hall.

Some 150 to 200 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze and keeping nearby properties damp to prevent it from spreading further.

Part of the city centre has now been closed off and will remain out of bounds all day, Bierman said.

Arnhem’s acting mayor, Cathelijne Bouwkamp, called the fire a “disaster”.

“We are doing everything we can to save the nearby buildings,” she told the Telegraaf. “But they are narrow alleys, and the historic buildings are all very close together.”

Arnhem was hit by another large fire on Tuesday night, when a furniture store and garage were destroyed on the outskirts of the city. That blaze is now thought to have been arson.