Two bodies have been found after a fire in Manchester’s Chinatown, Greater Manchester Police said.
The blaze, which started at around 2.15am, ripped through a building just yards from the ethnic quarter’s imperial arch.
A number of roads in the city centre were blocked by the fleet of fire engines sent to tackle the flames which illuminated the decorative gateway at the peak of the blaze.
Chief Inspector Gareth Parkin, from GMP’s city centre team, said: “These are tragic circumstances and we working to identify the men who were found in the building.
“A joint investigation with GMFRS is in its early stages and we will be carrying out a number of enquiries to establish how this fire started.
“I would appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to please call us.”
Information can be passed on to police by calling 101 and quoting incident number 146 of 25 November 2016 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.