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London Fire: Major Incident As 2,000 Evacuated

More than 2,000 people were evacuated from buildings in central London after cables caught fire under a pavement.

A major incident was declared in Kingsway, Holborn, as around 70 firefighters tackled the electrical blaze.

The alarm was raised after a large amount of thick black smoke was seen coming out of an inspection cover.

Police closed the three-lane Kingsway road at both ends and a number of offices were evacuated.

Onlookers reported "chaos" as people gathered on the streets and others said they "struggled to breathe" as the sky filled with "acrid smoke".

Passer-by Nicola Foxfield, 29, said: "I could smell burning in the air. As I got closer I could see fire engines everywhere.

"Then I could see loads of thick, brown smoke rising off the road.

"It's chaos and fire engines are coming from every direction and there are so many people around."

Another witness said he "struggled to breathe" as smoke seeped through the drains as he walked along Aldwych, at the bottom of Kingsway.

He said: "I was close enough to see thick black smoke puffing out of the drain grilles and I struggled to breathe.

"Hundreds of people were leaving their buildings on Fleet Street and Kingsway."

The blaze was later brought under control but the cause of the fire was unknown.

The London Fire Brigade said there have been no reports of injuries in the incident.

Meanwhile, Westminster City Council cabinet member Richard Beddoe said "exploding pavements" were a "worrying trend" and demanded "better investment in the capital's infrastructure".