More than 20 firefighters are tackling a fire that broke out in a bustling central London shopping district on Monday afternoon (July 16).
London Fire Brigade (LFB) rushed to a blaze at a Newport Court block of flats in Covent Garden shortly before 1pm.
According to LFB, 25 firefighters are currently battling flames that have engulfed part of the second floor of the five-storey building just off Charing Cross Road.
The fire is streets away from Leicester Square Underground Station and a short walk to Covent Garden station.
LFB was called to the fire that broke in the heart of London's West End at 12.58 am, 30% of a second floor flat is currently alight.
We will be bringing you all the latest updates from this incident in our live blog below.
Fire under control
A fire which tore through the second floor of a block of flats at the heart of Covent Garden this afternoon is now under control.
Nobody was hurt in the blaze that damaged half a flat on the second floor of the building. Roads around the busy London district were blocked following the fire. There is still queuing traffic in the area but traffic is beginning to flow as normal again.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said:
“Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a flat fire on Newport Court in Covent Garden.
“Half of a flat on the second floor was damaged by fire. A member of the public left the flat before the Brigade arrived.
“The Brigade was called at 1258 and the fire was under control by 1407. Fire crews from Soho, Euston, Shoreditch and Kentish Town fire stations attended the scene.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Video taken at the seen shows busy Covent Garden street closed while firefighters tackle fire
Video taken by eye witness @blacksky200 at the scene show firefighters tackling flames on the second floor of a five-storey Newport Street block of flats. The fire was moments away from Leicester Square Station, at the heart of one of London’s busiest shopping districts.
Queues around Charing Cross Road as it reopens
Charing Cross Road has reopened in both directions at the Great Newport Street junction but remains closed near the scene of the fire.
Newport Court taped off while firefighters work to control flames
The busy west London street where fire has broken out in a block of flats has been taped off by firefighters as they work to control the flames
Pictures show charred windows from second floor flat fire
Pictures taken by eye witness @blacksky200 at the scene show fire fighters working to extinguish flames that have blackened windows on the building’s second floor.
See location of Covent Garden fire
Flames broke out in a five-storey block of flats at the centre of London’s theatre district on Monday afternoon.
Newport Court lies between Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road - two of the West End’s busiest roads.
Charing Cross Road is blocked both ways while firefighters work to control the flames.
London Fire Brigade statement
More than 20 firefighters are working to put out flames ripping through a residential building in one of London’s busiest shopping district’s this afternoon.
An LFB spokesman said:
“Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters are attending a flat fire on Newport Court in Covent Garden.
Part of a flat on the second floor is alight. A member of the public left the flat before the Brigade arrived.
“The Brigade was called at 1258. Fire crews from Soho, Euston, Shoreditch and Kentish Town fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”
Charing Cross Road closed due to fire
Charing Cross Road is blocked in both directions causing heavy traffic in Covent Garden after a fire broke out at a nearby block of flats in Newport Court. 25 firefighters are currently tackling flames with have engulfed part of the second floor of a five storey residential block.
The road is closed at Great Newport Street while London Fire Brigade officers work to control the fire.
