Camden Market: Massive Fire At London Tourist Spot
A tourist spot in London has gone up in flames again. Camden Market, a popular hangout, was engulfed by a large blaze that reportedly gutted three floors of a building in the busy neighborhood.
Just past midnight (U.K. time), firefighters were called at Camden Market to douse what was by then already a significant fire. Eyewitnesses said they had seen a guitar shop in flames. In a series of tweets, the London Fire Brigade informed the first, second and third floors of a building were in flames. There were no reports of injuries until the fire was brought under control.
Sunday’s fire is the second reported instance of a massive blaze at the popular tourist hangout. In 2008, a fire at the market had destroyed more than 300 stalls and caused damages exceeding millions of dollars, according to The Telegraph. The market was rebuilt after the last incident. It attracts over 500,000 visitors every week and is known for used clothing, artwork and music.
The Guardian reported that the fire brigade is yet to ascertain the cause of Sunday’s fire, while asking denizens to avoid the area. Around 70 firefighters were deployed at the spot. About three hours into firefighting, the crew still were working hard to control the flames.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters have been called to reports of a fire in #Camden Lock Market. More when we have it. pic.twitter.com/O21OLbIyLb
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 9, 2017
Eyewitnesses who saw the fire said it appeared “very dangerous” but there seemed to be no evidence of injuries.
“The fire was flying through the air to the surrounding areas,” Joan Ribes told The Independent. “The fire was moving very fast. People were watching, but we were scared the building could explode at any time since there are restaurants with kitchens nearby.”
A bar manager work works in the area told The Guardian that the building appeared deserted. “Nobody was there. The market closed around 7 p.m. I told my staff to get back and it’s not worth risking their lives,” Tim Hobern said. Ambulances were rushed to the spot anticipating injuries.
The Camden Market fire was brought under control after about four hours of firefighting early on Sunday, but the fire brigade informed that its crew will continue work well into morning.
The #CamdenMarket fire is now under control but crews will be damping down into the morning © @CamdenJohnny Latest: https://t.co/WYOasMBp2a pic.twitter.com/nWEgvv0ZMb
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 10, 2017
This is the second major reported fire incident in London that has made headlines in the last one month. In June, the iconic Grenfell Tower went up in flames. The 24-floor building had burned for over two days, claimed over 80 lives and injured as many. The fire was attributed to sparks caused by an appliance inside one of the public housing flats located in the building. Some of the victims are yet to be identified. British Prime Minister Theresa May later said that around 120 other high-rise buildings had failed fire tests in London, Reuters reports.
[Featured Image by Yusof Abdul-Rahman/AP Images]
