More than 2,000 people were on Wednesday evacuated from buildings in central London as toxic smoke filled the streets after an electrical fault triggered a massive underground fire near the Indian High Commission in London as well as the London School of Economics.
Emergency services tackle a blaze in central London. Thousands of people were evacuated from central London after an electrical fire under the pavement, local media reported. Photograph: Toby Melville/ Reuters
Fire crews were called in after smoke was seen coming out of an inspection cover on a pavement off Kingsway in Holborn area.
Fire-fighters said power cables had started a fire beneath the pavement and they could not put it out until the current was switched off.
London Fire Brigade confirmed that the electrical fire was caused among some cables and a 25-metre safety cordon has been put in place in the area, which also houses the LSE as well as the Indian High Commission building, India House.
The High Commission officials were under an automatic fire drill after the power supply in the area was cut off.
"We are all in the basement as the fire alarms went off but the fire has not affected India House," a spokesperson said.
Part of the LSE was cleared by the emergency services and the university was urging students to avoid the area.
Fire-fighters tackle a blaze in central London. Photograph: Toby Melville/ Reuters
Footage from the scene showed the air filled with dark smoke that appeared to be streaming from potholes and underground vents.
Students and office workers were among nearly 2,000 people evacuated because of the toxic smoke that filled the streets around Holborn.
People were seen pouring out of offices, restaurants, cafes and shops while roads were cordoned off by the emergency services.
Onlookers described "crazy scenes" and "madness" as smoke rose so high in the air that it could be seen from the Shard skyscraper.
Several buildings also suffered power cuts due to the blaze, forcing some companies to send staff home while the Holborn Tube station has been closed down for commuters after the Scotland Yard declared the fire as "major".
The alarm was raised at around 12.40 pm local time and students from the LSE were evacuated during the blaze.
Fire-fighters tackle a blaze in central London near the Indian High Commission. Photograph: Toby Melville/ Reuters
A London Fire Brigade statement said: "A large safety cordon is in place and more than 2,000 people have been evacuated from a number of nearby buildings due to the large quantity of thick black smoke in the area.
"Police have declared a major incident and closed Kingsway at both ends."
Six fire engines and 35 fire-fighters and officers are at the scene on standby to tackle the blaze and police are advising drivers to avoid the area as road closures continue. Crews are waiting for utility companies to disconnect the power supplies before tackling the blaze.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade warned that the situation in Holborn will get worse until electricity companies switch off the power for fire-fighters to put out the flames.
Transport for London said Holborn Underground station would remain closed until the power supply was fixed and warned that closures on Kingsway and in the Strand Tunnel were causing queues back to Trafalgar Square.