Watch: Drone footage shows aftermath of Glasgow School of Art fire

Glasgow School of Art (GSA) bosses have released drone footage showing the scale of the devastating fire which wrecked the iconic Mackintosh Building and the O2 ABC.

Detailed work has begun to assess the condition of GSA after the historic building was gutted in the blaze.

A team of experts was able to enter the site to assess the condition of the building with the support of the emergency services, three days after the fire broke out.

A 3D Visualisation, detailed photography and aerial drone footage has been collected.

Aerial view showing the damage caused by the second fire at Glasgow's School of Art. Picture: SWNS

Director of The Glasgow School of Art, Professor Tom Inns and Chair of the Board of Governors, Muriel Gray were allowed access to the site for the first time today.

“Since Friday evening The Glasgow School of Art has been working round the clock to ensure that the academic experience for over 400 postgraduate and 1500 Open Studio students can continue,” says Professor Tom Inns, Director The Glasgow School of Art.

“We would like to express our thanks to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland for allowing us to come up on to the site today and for enabling access yesterday in order to begin assessing the condition of the building.”

The blaze spread to nearby buildings including the Campus nightclub and O2 ABC music venue. Picture: SWNS

“This was the first opportunity for the expert team to see the building and begin what will be a long and complex process of determining the future of the Mack, but we remain optimistic.”

“We are overwhelmed by the messages of support and offers of help from across the globe in the aftermath of Friday’s fire,” added Muriel Gray.

“There is a huge desire to see Mackintosh’s masterpiece rise again, one which we all share. We have incredibly detailed information on the building collated over the last 4 years, and have worked with teams of talented craftspeople who were doing a tremendous job on the restoration. However, this was one of our first proper looks at the building. As soon as we can we will share information with you.”

The cause of the blaze has not yet been established, with fire chiefs saying the investigation into the fire will be “very complex” and “take some time” before questions over the future of the world-famous institution can be addressed.

The blaze engulfed the art school on Friday night. Picture: John Devlin

Assistant Chief Officer David McGown of the SFRS said it will scrutinise “every aspect” of the fire, which he said had left the Glasgow city centre building “devastated.”

At the height of the incident more than 120 firefighters were involved in fighting the blaze. There have been no reports of any casualties. The blaze has shocked and saddened people in Glasgow and beyond including leading figures in the worlds of art and music.

Experts have estimated the cost of rebuilding the gutted Mackintosh Building would be at least £100 million, if anything can be salvaged at all.

However Glasgow School of Art officials said they remain hopeful of a positive outcome for the Mackintosh Building,