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Firefighters tackle blaze at The Mall shopping centre in Walthamstow

The fire at an east London shopping centre broke out on Monday morning (Picture: PA)
The fire at an east London shopping centre broke out on Monday morning (Picture: PA)

More than 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze at a shopping centre in east London.

Crew from 15 engines are fighting the fire at The Mall in Selbourne Road, Walthamstow, which has been declared a major incident.

London Fire Brigade was called to the scene at about 7.40am on Monday.

"Part of the roof of the two-storey building is alight," LFB said. "The cause of the fire is not known at this stage."

Waltham Forest Police tweeted saying "officers are dealing with a major incident" and advised people to avoid the area around the shopping complex.

Firefighters at the scene of a fire at The Mall on Selbourne Road, Walthamstow, east London (Picture: PA)
Firefighters at the scene of a fire at The Mall on Selbourne Road, Walthamstow, east London (Picture: PA)
(Picture: PA)
Smoke billowed from the shopping centre in east London (Picture: PA)

Fire station manager Steve Smith said: "There is a lot of smoke so we would advise local residents to keep their doors and windows closed while crews tackle the fire.

"There are local road closures in place so motorists should avoid the area where possible."

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The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the scene at 7.50am, adding that "no injuries have been reported".

Images and videos posted on social media of the scene shows smoke billowing into the air and flames lapping part of the roof.

(Picture: PA)
More than 100 firefighters are tackling the blaze (Picture: PA)

LFB said there are 15 fire engines at the scene, with crews from Walthamstow, Leyton, Tottenham, Leytonstone and Homerton in attendance.

Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy tweeted: "It appears there is a serious fire incident at the mall this morning, please keep back from area and let's help the fire brigade do their job."

(Picture: PA)
The fire broke out at The Mall in Walthamstow (Picture: PA)
Fire engines at the scene of the fire at a shopping centre in east London (Picture: PA)
Fire engines at the scene of the fire at a shopping centre in east London (Picture: PA)

Alex de Lange said: "There's massive amounts of black smoke billowing from The Mall.

"There's a helicopter and lots of fire engines and sounds like some explosions too. The bus station has been evacuated."

Elly Gresham-Scott said that as she passed the scene at around 8.25am the "air was hazy" with "quite large" ash particles floating in the air.

Freddie Joyce said that there are "massive high flames spreading at high speed", adding: "Firemen are struggling to keep it under control it looks like."

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