'It's scary to think we were just metres away from a body': Horror on the streets beside a demolished mill where human remains were uncovered

26.07.2022 - 00:37 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Residents have spoken of their horror after human remains were uncovered just metres from their front doors over the weekend. The grim discovery was made by demolition workers at the site of a former mill in Oldham on Saturday (July 23), which was ravaged by a fire more than two months ago.

Bismark House Mill, Bower Street, went up in flames in the early hours of May 7 which completely tore through the building, taking a number of fire crews days to eventually put out. Ever since, the building has been slowly demolished. At the time of the blaze, it was not thought anyone was inside the building.

Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident on Monday afternoon (July 25), after fire crews and forensics spent most of the day conducting investigations at the site following the shocking discovery. It has been confirmed that remains relating to one person have so far been found at the mill, however, police say they suspect that the discovery of the body is connected to four missing Vietnamese nationals.

READ MORE What we know so far after human remains found in burnt out Oldham mill

A cordon remained in place around the site on Monday, with many small roads blocked off, keeping the area closed whilst investigations continue. Distraught residents watched on in horror from their front doors and windows. Many said they had been going about their daily lives without knowing what lay beneath the rubble.

Derker Street resident Emma Hughes remembers her young toddler waking her up around 3am on the morning of the fire in May. She said: "We saw all the smoke over the trees as my little boy had heard all the bangs and the sirens.

"I didn't know the mill was still used, I have never really seen people going in or out. I have