Europe, Editor’s Pick



An underground electrical fire in central London which caused “pavements to explode” and led to the evacuation of more than 2,000 people and the closure of West End shows is now under control, the fire brigade has said.

Photo taken from the Twitter feed of @LondonFire of firefighters attending the scene of the fire which began under the pavement on Kingsway in Holborn, London.

Photo taken from the Twitter feed of @LondonFire of firefighters attending the scene of the fire which began under the pavement on Kingsway in Holborn, London. Image by London Fire Brigade/PA Wire

Crews fought to stop the spread of the blaze, which began among cables in a service tunnel under the pavement of Kingsway in Holborn – a major three-lane road though the city.

The alarm was raised after thick black smoke and flames were seen rising from drains around lunchtime today.

Police declared a major incident and at its peak around 70 fiefighters and 10 engines were at the scene.

A general view of police on the scene as they have declared a major incident over a blaze which began under the pavement of Kingsway in Holborn, the fire brigade said.

A general view of police on the scene as they have declared a major incident over a blaze which began under the pavement of Kingsway in Holborn, the fire brigade said. Image by James Edgar/PA Wire

Judges and lawyers at the Royal Courts of Justice were among the thousands to spill on to the streets after the evacuation, while The Lion King and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory were both forced to cancel this evening’s performances.

Meanwhile, a Westminster City Council cabinet member said “exploding pavements” were a “worrying trend” and demanded “better investment in the capital’s infrastructure”.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

(Press Association)