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| More than 2,000 forced to flee after major central London blaze | More than 2,000 forced to flee after major central London blaze |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| More than 2,000 people were evacuated from buildings along a main road in central London after an electrical fire sent thick black smoke billowing into the air. Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters were called to the scene in Kingsway, a busy north-south route through central London. | More than 2,000 people were evacuated from buildings along a main road in central London after an electrical fire sent thick black smoke billowing into the air. Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters were called to the scene in Kingsway, a busy north-south route through central London. |
| London fire brigade said it was called at around 12.40pm to a blaze in Holborn thought to have been caused by a faulty electrical junction box. It was brought under control at around 8.10pm. | London fire brigade said it was called at around 12.40pm to a blaze in Holborn thought to have been caused by a faulty electrical junction box. It was brought under control at around 8.10pm. |
| Commuters were facing continuing disruption on Thursday as roads in the area remained closed. Kingsway and Waterloo Bridge northbound remain closed, while Southampton Row is closed at Vernon Place, Transport for London said. | |
| London fire brigade assistant commissioner Peter Cowup said it had used a “well-rehearsed plan” to prevent the fire in power cables from spreading to nearby buildings. “Crews worked closely with the various electricity companies involved to identify the source and extent of the fire which was underground. As this was likely to be an electrical fire, we had to ensure the power was off before we applied water to extinguish it,” he said. | London fire brigade assistant commissioner Peter Cowup said it had used a “well-rehearsed plan” to prevent the fire in power cables from spreading to nearby buildings. “Crews worked closely with the various electricity companies involved to identify the source and extent of the fire which was underground. As this was likely to be an electrical fire, we had to ensure the power was off before we applied water to extinguish it,” he said. |
| Related: Thousands evacuated as fire breaks out in central London – in pictures | Related: Thousands evacuated as fire breaks out in central London – in pictures |
| “The power has now been isolated and so the fire is contained. Crews are now able to access what remains of the fire and will be at the scene into the night damping down.” | “The power has now been isolated and so the fire is contained. Crews are now able to access what remains of the fire and will be at the scene into the night damping down.” |
| When the fire was at its most intense, police officers closed Kingsway at both ends and advised motorists to avoid the area. Holborn underground station was closed. Witnesses took to social media to describe the disruption and share photos of the smoky scenes. | When the fire was at its most intense, police officers closed Kingsway at both ends and advised motorists to avoid the area. Holborn underground station was closed. Witnesses took to social media to describe the disruption and share photos of the smoky scenes. |
| Judges, lawyers and staff at the nearby royal courts of justice on the Strand were among those evacuated. Onlookers reported problems with breathing and chaos in the area as those evacuated waited on the street and traffic began to pile up. | Judges, lawyers and staff at the nearby royal courts of justice on the Strand were among those evacuated. Onlookers reported problems with breathing and chaos in the area as those evacuated waited on the street and traffic began to pile up. |
| #kingswayfire smoke shrouds Holborn area in large electrical fire. pic.twitter.com/vaZvLuGVet | #kingswayfire smoke shrouds Holborn area in large electrical fire. pic.twitter.com/vaZvLuGVet |
| Major fire on Kingsway, police everywhere, smoke pouring out of underground vents. pic.twitter.com/fpvIshoBXQ | Major fire on Kingsway, police everywhere, smoke pouring out of underground vents. pic.twitter.com/fpvIshoBXQ |
| Nicola Foxfield, 29, said: “It’s chaos and fire engines are coming from every direction and there are so many people around.” | Nicola Foxfield, 29, said: “It’s chaos and fire engines are coming from every direction and there are so many people around.” |
| Another witness said he struggled to breathe because of the smoke seeping through the drains as he walked along Aldwych, at the bottom of Kingsway. He said: “I had just cycled over Waterloo Bridge, and as I approached Kingsway, I saw a big crowd of people and smoke billowing towards me. The fire crews and police officers were beginning to cordon off the area. I was close enough to see thick black smoke puffing out of the drain grills and I struggled to breathe.” | Another witness said he struggled to breathe because of the smoke seeping through the drains as he walked along Aldwych, at the bottom of Kingsway. He said: “I had just cycled over Waterloo Bridge, and as I approached Kingsway, I saw a big crowd of people and smoke billowing towards me. The fire crews and police officers were beginning to cordon off the area. I was close enough to see thick black smoke puffing out of the drain grills and I struggled to breathe.” |
| The LFB said there have been no reports of injuries. | The LFB said there have been no reports of injuries. |