A major incident has been declared by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after human remains were found by workers demolishing a mill in Oldham.
The finding came 10 weeks after a fire at the Bismark House Mill property on Bower Street.
GMP said it received a report last week that four Vietnamese men were missing and “may have been involved in a fire”.
On May 7, firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at the mill which took four days to extinguish.
No one was believed to be inside at this time, GMP said. Forensic experts are working to establish the identity of the dead, as well as the circumstances surrounding the fire.
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: “Victims and bereaved people are at the forefront of our death investigations. Therefore, while work continues to confirm the identity of the deceased, we are liaising with partner agencies to ensure that potential family members in Vietnam are fully informed and supported.
“This news will understandably impact both the local and wider community. I can assure members of the public that this has been declared a serious incident to ensure that GMP and partner agencies respond to this incident in the most effective manner and that specialist officers are following every line of inquiry to confirm the identity of the deceased , if anyone else was inside the mill at the time of the fire and the full circumstances surrounding that fire. Any crimes identified as part of their investigation will be promptly and appropriately progressed.
He urged anyone with information to contact the force directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers, adding that police are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who knows how the building was used in the run-up to May 7 or has information about the fire.
Due to previous contacts relating to the fire and the missing people, this incident has been referred to GMP’s Professional Standards Branch for review, the force said.
Anyone with information should submit it through the public major incident portal. Anyone without internet access should contact 0161 856 0055 quoting Operation Logan.
Information can also be shared anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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