Dozens of firefighters tackled a blaze in an underground tunnel in central London.
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters arrived at the scene on Theobalds Road, by the junction of Southampton Row in Holborn on Wednesday.
The fire is now under control and there were no reports of injuries, but the crew will remain at the scene throughout the afternoon.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) will now launch an investigation as the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Steve Whymark, 39, a hospitality compliance and support officer who works in the area, said his contract work was cancelled for the day and he will have to return at a later date.
He described to The Independent how “flames could be seen coming out of the manhole on the corner”.
After being evacuated from his office building, Mr Whymark waited with his colleagues outside for around two-and-a-half hours.
“Bloomsbury Square was filled to the brim with people from offices and a nearby construction site,” he said.
“It was very cold having to wait, but I was thankful it was dry at least. As I had keys inside the building, I could not leave before getting them, so it was just a case of standing around waiting for an update.”
He claimed the fire had also caused issues for some places in accepting card payments, but he was able to visit a coffee shop that accepted Apple Pay.
Station commander Paul Morgan said: "Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were initially mobilised to the scene, where crews discovered a fire involving high-voltage electrical cables below street level.
"Due to the challenging and hazardous nature of the incident, an additional four fire engines were requested to attend, taking the total to ten appliances. This is expected to be a prolonged operation given the complexity of tackling a fire within an underground electrical tunnel.
"Firefighters are working closely with partner agencies to safely bring the incident under control while minimising disruption.
"The incident is causing significant disruption in central London, with multiple road closures and a safety cordon currently in place. Several bus routes have been diverted, and the public is advised to avoid the area where possible.
"Our community engagement team is on site providing support to local residents and businesses affected by the fire.”
LFB's 999 control officers have taken 18 calls to the fire and sent crews from Soho, Euston, Shoreditch, Islington, Lambeth and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
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