A major fire broke out at the bustling Westfield Stratford City shopping centre on Thursday afternoon, prompting a large-scale emergency response and the evacuation of hundreds of shoppers and staff.
Thick, black smoke was seen billowing from a service yard area of the complex, one of Europe's largest urban shopping centres, located in East London. The London Fire Brigade confirmed it was called at 3:21 PM, eventually deploying ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters to tackle the intense blaze.
Chaotic Scenes as Centre is Cleared
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as alarms sounded and security teams urgently directed people towards exits. Shoppers were forced to abandon purchases and leave the building immediately, gathering in designated assembly points outside while emergency services secured the area.
The fire is believed to have originated in a refuse area within the service yard. Fire crews, using multiple jets and hose reels, worked tirelessly to prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent retail units and the centre's main structure.
Transport Links and Safety Assurance
The scale of the incident caused significant disruption, with the nearby Stratford station, a major transport hub, briefly affected. Authorities have advised the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services unimpeded access.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade stated, "Firefighters are working hard to bring the fire under control. We advise local residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed due to the large amount of smoke."
Despite the dramatic scenes, authorities have confirmed that there have been no reports of any injuries. An investigation into the cause of the fire will commence once it is fully extinguished.
