Four people remain missing after a rescue operation was launched when a fire broke out at an abandoned mine.
Emergency services launched a nine hour search mission after the group were spotted around the unused quarry at Elm Cross Yard, in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.
Smoke was seen billowing out of the mine during the blaze at 5.30pm on Wednesday, shortly after four people were seen entering the area.
Police and firefighters rushed to the scene, with a frantic search taking place to find the group amid fears they may have been inside.
Now officers say they think the people involved managed to escape.
Chief Inspector Ben Huggins, from the force, said on Thursday: ‘Thankfully, the team concluded that the mine was empty and were able to leave safely. No injuries have been reported.’
The cause of the fire has not yet been revealed, and police are continuing to search for the four people seen in the area.
The mine where the fire took hold had previously been used by a drugs gang, with £1million of cannabis being found in the quarry by Wiltshire Police in 2018.
Emergency services launched a nine hour search mission after the group were spotted around the unused quarry at Elm Cross Yard on Wednesday after reports of smoke billowing out of the mine after 5.30pm
Six fire crews from Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Melksham, Corsham and Westbury were in attendance and closed Frome Road
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service said they were called at 7pm to the blaze.
Six fire crews from Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Melksham, Corsham and Westbury were in attendance
While smoke was filling the cave, 999 crews were concerned if anyone remained inside, they could suffer life-threatening effects of smoke inhalation.
Frome Road closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze but were unable to find the group of four, meanwhile Wiltshire Police are still working to track them down.
Six breathing apparatus wearers entered the mine alongside Mansfield Mine Rescue, HM Inspectorate of Mines, and Police
Gas monitors along with thermal imaging cameras were also used inside.
The search ended just before 4.30am on Thursday morning.
It’s also prompted a warning by Police about the dangers of entering underground sites without proper safety measures or permission.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze but were unable to find the group of four, meanwhile Wiltshire Police are still working to track them down
Crews concluded after their nine hour search that the group of four managed to escape the fire inside the mine
Six breathing apparatus wearers entered the mine alongside Mansfield Mine Rescue, HM Inspectorate of Mines, and Police. The search ended just before 4.30am on Thursday morning, and there were no reports of any injuries
Chief Inspector Huggins said they can pose significant risks to life because of their unstable structures, poor air quality and other hidden dangers.
‘Whilst this may seem an interesting place to explore, the reality is underground locations contain a number of hazards, dangers and difficulties presenting a potential risk to individual safety,’ Huggins said.
He said a significant amount of resources were deployed out of fear for the groups safety.
‘A national, specialist mines rescue team attended and carried out a full search of the underground area which had filled with smoke.’
‘If any of the individuals had not already left the mine at this point, it was highly unlikely that they would have survived,’ Huggins said.
The tunnels form part of a former limestone quarry covering about 10 acres or 40,000 square metres.
The quarry used to tore equipment in World War Two and later became a mushroom farm
In 2018 police found an estimated £1million of cannabis at the site – the largest such haul at the time.
