Dozens of firefighters tackled a blaze in a underground tunnel in Holborn today.
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to the scene on Theobalds Road, by the junction of Southampton Row in Holborn on Wednesday.
Images from the scene showed clouds of smoke fogging the roads and affecting visibility in the surrounding area as firefighters tackled the blaze.
The fire is now under control and there were no reports of injuries, but the crew remained at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
Crowds of office workers were evacuated from buildings close to the blaze.
One man, who was working as part of a film crew, told the Standard: “We were filming and then I looked out the window and there was a huge fire coming out of the manhole. There was smoke everywhere.
“Apparently one of the wires underground caused it - I heard it happens a lot.”
Traffic was brought to a standstill in the surrounding area with Southampton Row and Bloomsbury Square taped off by police.
A businessman working in the cordoned off area said the building had maintained power despite the emergency effort going on nearby.
He said: “We're all still working, everyone's fine.”
The incident caused significant disruption to traffic in central London.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) will now launch an investigation as the cause of the fire remains unknown.
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.”
This comes just one day after a fire in Southall raged from morning to night and was declared a major incident.
