City's first halal food hall ravaged by fire
BBCBirmingham's first halal food court has been ravaged by fire just six months after opening.
Firefighters were called to the Art Quarter on Allison Street, in Digbeth, shortly before 00:30 BST on Thursday and found the blaze affected both floors of the two-storey building and caused extensive smoke damage throughout.
No injuries were reported and an investigation to establish the cause remains ongoing, West Midlands Fire Service said.
The venue opened a food court in March, with hopes of "bridging" communities together and "breaking down those social barriers".
The wider building also contains a female-only hair salon, which caters for women who wear headscarves.
In April, the establishment announced it would allow five small businesses to operate at the venue for 15 months without paying any bills.
On the venue's website, the owners posted: "Due to an unforeseen and severe fire at our premises, the art quarter is currently closed.
"We are incredibly grateful that everyone is safe, but our physical space will need time to recover.
"We want to thank our amazing community for the ongoing love and support during this difficult time. We will rebuild, recover and be back stronger than ever as soon as possible."
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