Fire in London underground took 12 hours to get under control

Commuters are facing rush hour delays as a major three-lane road in central London remains closed, following an underground electrical fire which saw the evacuation of more than 2,000 people.

It took almost 12 hours for fire crews to bring the blaze, which began among cables in a service tunnel under the pavement of Kingsway in Holborn, under control yesterday and firefighters remain at the scene.

Police declared a major incident and at its peak around 70 firefighters and 10 engines were attended the blaze which was said to have caused “pavements to explode”.

Kingsway and Waterloo Bridge northbound remain closed, while Southampton Row is closed at Vernon Place, Transport for London said.

The cause of the fire, which forced the closure of nearby West End shows, remains unknown.

Meanwhile commuters have also been warned of delays in north-west London after a fire broke out overnight on an industrial unit in Park Royal.

Fifteen fire engines were called to Western Road to deal with a blaze involving the ground and first floor of the unit, as well as a large section of its roof.

Station manager Bill Dunn said: "This is likely to be a protracted incident and will probably be causing disruption into the morning rush hour so avoid the area if you can."

PA