More than 100 firefighters battle blaze at London’s Mandarin Oriental hotel
The cause ‘is not known at this stage’ for the fire on the roof of the 12-storey hotel, officials said
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Fire broke out at London’s Mandarin Oriental hotel on Wednesday, with dozens of firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze that pumped smoke high into the air over the British capital.
The fire brigade said “around 120 firefighters” and 20 fire engines were involved in battling the fire on the roof of the 12-storey hotel in Knightsbridge, a luxury area of central London.
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The fire service said the blaze was “producing a lot of smoke” and was “very visible” and its cause “is not known at this stage”.
According to a report by CNN, there were no immediate reports of any casualties. The first reports of the fire came just before 4pm local time.
One witness said labourers had earlier been working on the roof of the 116-year-old hotel, which recently underwent extensive renovations.
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The ornate Edwardian building near Hyde Park opened as a hotel in 1902. It has 181 bedrooms and suites, and is located near Harrods, an iconic department store that itself was destroyed by fire in 1883 and rebuilt.
Roads were closed off at Scotch Corner and Hyde Park Corner, busy junctions near the hotel - an Edwardian-style building that opened its doors in 1902 and was bought by Mandarin Oriental in 1996.
Transport for London, which manages the city’s public transport system, said an entrance to Knightsbridge Underground station had been closed “at the request of the emergency services”.
