Southend Pier 1976 fire in pictures 47 years on

On July 29, 1976, an inferno ripped through the historic pier and smoke billowed into the sky as hundreds of shocked visitors were forced to flee the scene by boat and train.

Shocked traders and residents look on as the firefighting effort continues (Image: Newsquest)

Thankfully, those who were on the world’s longest pleasure pier when the blaze broke out were able to escape to safety.

Aftermath - how the wreckage looked in January 1977 (Image: Newsquest)

Strong winds also fanned the flames as the dramatic fire was watched by thousands of holiday-makers on beaches on both sides of the estuary.

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Firemen tackled the blaze from tug boats and the pier itself.

Destroyed - the fire lasted four hours (Image: Newquest)

Two firemen were injured as they attempted to put out the inferno and it remains a mystery as to how the fire began.

Initial reports suggested the blaze, which lasted four hours, started near a restaurant.

Awful scenes - smoke billows into the south Essex sky (Image: Newsquest)

The next day, the Evening Echo reported: “The cause of the blaze may never be known.”

Another fire broke out in the pier’s bowling alley a year later, while the railway was forced to close for safety reasons in 1978.

Taking hold - the fire continues to cause destruction (Image: Newsquest)

After a lengthy campaign, the pier was restored in 1984 and a new railway followed.