The historic Mandarin Oriental hotel in central London was the site of a massive fire Wednesday afternoon.
The London Fire Brigade told the Daily Mail that 20 engines and 120 firefighters have been sent to the scene, where they are battling the blaze. Police were evacuating the building in Knightsbridge, but it was unclear if anyone was trapped or injured.
Streets between Scotch Corner and Hyde Park Corner were closed while emergency services dealt with the fire. A spokesperson for the Mandarin Oriental hotel’s parent company told the Daily Mail that they were “aware of a situation at the hotel and London Fire Brigade are at the scene.”
Witnesses on the scene took photos of smoke billowing from the historic building and shared them on social media:
Thick black smoke is seen billowing into the sky from the roof of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel https://t.co/h3tHfLyHzH pic.twitter.com/aYqvtsopfQ
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) June 6, 2018
Massive blaze engulfs Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge https://t.co/LJtX26zpXI pic.twitter.com/YpehmRLfdI
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) June 6, 2018
The Mandarin Oriental hotel had celebrated its reopening on May 29 after undergoing the most extensive and costly refurbishment in its 115-year history.