Rowe Court fire: Two still missing after Reading flats blaze as

Two people remain missing following a fatal flat fire in Reading - with police now saying they do not expect to find any survivors.

Dozens of firefighters, paramedics and police officers were called to Rowe Court, off Grovelands Road, shortly before 3am on Wednesday morning (December 15).

Grovelands Road was closed to traffic in both directions between Brisbane Road and A329 Oxford Road - with the building left unstable.

Read more: Arrest after fatal Reading house blaze

One person is confirmed to have died - with two others still unaccounted for.

Four other people have been taken to hospital, with seven more treated by paramedics at the scene. Temporary accommodation is being set up for those who cannot return home.

In an update shortly before 10.30pm on Wednesday evening, a Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: "Our officers remain at the scene of the fire in Reading, where they have been throughout today, along with colleagues from the fire and ambulance services. The teams have been working tirelessly since the early hours of this morning.

"Following an extensive search, during which all rescue opportunities were exhausted, we can sadly confirm that we do not expect there to be any more survivors. As confirmed earlier, we know that one person has tragically died. Two people have since been confirmed missing.

"Emergency services will remain on the scene overnight. Tomorrow, work will start to assess the structural damage to the building. This will be a complex operation which we expect to take some time. We will work to recover any of those people who were inside the building.

"A 31-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and arson remains in police custody at this time. If you have any concerns about loved ones, please report them online at https://orlo.uk/DgFja or call the Casualty Bureau on 0800 051 6079 or 020 7126 7641 from outside the UK."

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Doug Buchanan, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said 50 firefighters had been at the scene at the height of the blaze.

He added: "While this incident is understood to be arson, the source of ignition is yet to be confirmed and a full fire investigation will be underway to determine this, alongside colleagues from Thames Valley Police.

"Firefighters do remain on the scene and are likely to do so for a number of hours, so we would ask for your continued patience while the work of the emergency services continues."

Mark Ainsworth, Director of Operations, South Central Ambulance Service, said: "Sadly, one person is believed to have died and there are a number of others who are unaccounted for.

"In addition our teams have assessed and treated four patients who have been taken to hospital, two patients sustained serious injuries and the two patients were in a non life threatening condition. A further seven patients have been treated at the scene but they did not require hospital treatment

"We will remain on scene working alongside partners in response to this sad situation."

BerkshireLive will bring you further updates as they become available.