A huge fire that broke out at a luxury hotel in Knightsbridge, central London, was tackled by more than 120 firefighters.
Staff and guests of the Mandarin Oriental were evacuated and a column of thick black smoke thrown up by the blaze in its upper levels was widely visible.
London Fire Brigade said it was a “very large fire” but the London Ambulance Service later tweeted that its paramedics had "not treated any patients" and they remained on the scene as a "precaution".
For all the updates as they happened, read our live blog from the afternoon below.
Live Updates
As many as 120 firefighters are currently attending to the blaze at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge. You can follow our coverage of this developing story right here. London Fire Brigade has said it is awaiting information from its teams on the ground as to whether anyone is trapped in the building or how many people had been evacuated. The hotel is physically connected to the prestigious One Hyde Park development, the capital's most expensive address. The hotel complex has a private cinema and a Heston Blumenthal restaurant. Emergency workers including more fire engines and ambulances, were still seen arriving at the hotel at about 4.45pm. Flames were spotted around the roof of the hotel. London Ambulance Service could not say whether it had treated any patients or how many paramedics it had sent to the scene. More information would be released later, a spokeswoman said.
Staff from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel have been evacuated to Hyde Park where they were being given bottles of water.
One worker, who asked not to be named, said: "The fire alarm started and everybody was told to get outside. Everything's fine but we don't know how it started yet." PA A press release published at the end of May by the hotel's owner company said the building had just undergone "the most extensive restoration in its 115-year history". Its 181 rooms were refurbished along with its facade, the release said. Staff and patients were evacuated from a cosmetic clinic next door to the Mandarin Oriental. Dr Terry Loong was ordered to leave W One along with her colleagues five minutes after the fire was first called in to LFB. She said the fire appeared to have "calmed down a lot" within the hour. A tradesman working at the hotel said he saw a fire on the roof before raising the alarm. The 19-year-old lift engineer, who gave his name as Harry, said: "I was in the lift and I hit the fire alarm button. "I was in the lift shaft and I looked to my left and saw the geezers working on the roof. "To my left there was a big fire. "I said [to my colleague] 'Lee, there's a fire over there, let's get out of the building. Get out the lift shaft, I'm being serious'. "We ran down the stairs and went and got the scaffolder out of the loading bay." He said builders on the roof had been cutting materials and doing other work during the day. "I could see the orange flames on the roof," he added. PA The latest from LFB. A statement said: "Firefighters are likely to be on the scene throughout the night." The statement continued: "The hotel has been evacuated by hotel staff and crews are currently working to bring the fire under control as well as carrying out a systematic search of the building." The fire is not yet under control, the brigade said. London Ambulance Service's deputy director of operations, Peter McKenna, has just said in a statement: "We were called at 4:04pm today to Knightsbridge, SW1X, to reports of a fire. "We have sent multiple crews including our hazardous area response team. We remain at the scene.” No details on whether anyone has been treated for injuries were given.
Pam Oparaocha, an LFB station manager, has said in a statement from the scene: "The smoke from this large fire was very visible across central London this afternoon and we received a number of emergency calls. "Firefighters are working extremely hard to bring the fire under control. Crews wearing breathing apparatus are carrying out a search inside the building. "Firefighters are likely to be there throughout the evening and once the fire has been brought under control fire investigators will take over to establish how the blaze started." Here is video giving a view from the scene in Knightsbridge:
Smoke has stopped issuing from the roof of the hotel, according to witnesses. Police have twice pushed back the cordon around the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Josh Withey/The Independent) Our reporter Josh Withey says there has been no significant activity from the ambulance service and very little movement in our out since paramedics arrived.
Firefighters and officers have been seen scaling the side of the 12-storey building using the black metal fire escape seen on the side of the building in the above image. Several firefighters are on the fire escape at the middle levels of the hotel, Josh Withey reports from the scene. They are being assisted by another firefighter on a long ladder platform. A dozen or more firefighters are seen outside the third or fourth floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge (Josh Withey/The Independent) London Ambulance Service has released an updated statement: “We have not treated any patients but we remain at the scene as a precaution.” The black smoke has given way to a white haze, Josh Withey reports from the scene. Next
The building underwent an “extensive restoration” ending late last month and costing several million pounds, its owner company Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group said in May.
The hotel is connected to the prestigious One Hyde Park development, which has the most expensive addresses in London.
Apartments there have been known to go on the market for as much as £75m and guests can use the facilities at the neighbouring hotel, including the private cinema.
They can also order room service from Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant Dinner.
Lift engineer Harry said he saw a fire on the roof before raising the alarm.
The 19-year-old tradesman said: "I was in the lift and I hit the fire alarm button.
"I was in the lift shaft and I looked to my left and saw the geezers working on the roof.
"To my left there was a big fire.
"I said (to my colleague) 'Lee, there's a fire over there, let's get out of the building. Get out the lift shaft, I'm being serious'.
"We ran down the stairs and went and got the scaffolder out of the loading bay."
He said the builders on the roof had been cutting materials and doing other work during the day.
"I could see the orange flames on the roof," he said.
More than 100 firefighters tackled a blaze at a luxury hotel in central London that produced thick black smoke visible for miles around and required people inside the building to evacuate Wednesday.
London Fire Brigade said it was called to the 12-story Mandarin Oriental Hotel just before 4 p.m. (1500 GMT.) Less than an hour later, 20 engines and 120 firefighters were at the scene, and much less smoke was billowing from the top of the hotel.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were searching the structure to see if anyone still was inside, the fire brigade said.
The cause of the fire was not yet known. One witness said laborers had been working earlier on the roof of the 116-year-old hotel, which recently underwent extensive renovations.
Writer Juno Dawson tweeted: "Well that was drama. The Mandarin Oriental is literally on fire. Evacuated mid photoshoot. Hope everyone is ok. It was the construction site on the roof that seemed to be on fire."
Hotel employees evacuated to nearby Hyde Park and were given bottles of water as they waited for instructions.
Firefighters were "working extremely hard to bring the fire under control" and likely to be on the scene for several hours, Fire Brigade Station Manager Pam Oparaocha said.
The road in front of the hotel in London's ritzy Knightsbridge neighborhood was closed, causing rush-hour traffic chaos in the area.
Parts of the busy Knightsbridge Underground station also were closed as a precaution.
Mandarin Oriental said that "as the situation is still unfolding, we have no further details to share at this time, but will provide an update soon."
The ornate Edwardian building near Hyde Park opened as a hotel in 1902. It has 181 bedrooms and suites, and is located near Harrods, an iconic department store that itself was destroyed by fire in 1883 and rebuilt.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Mandarin Oriental fire: Video shows smoke at London hotel
A huge fire has broken out at a luxury hotel in central London a week after "the most extensive restoration in its 115-year history" was completed.
Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the five-star Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge after firefighters were called just before 16:00 BST.
About 120 firefighters and 20 engines have been sent to the scene in William Street, London Fire Brigade said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, a spokesperson confirmed.
Both the ambulance service and the Met Police are also attending the scene, although there are no reports of any injuries, the fire brigade said.
After the blaze broke out on the roof, staff were evacuated from the 12-storey building to Hyde Park, where they were given bottles of water.
Smell 'horrendous'
One hotel worker, who asked not to be named, said: "The fire alarm started and everybody was told to get outside.
"Everything's fine but we don't know how it started yet."
Penelope Evans, 50, from Battersea, south London, was shopping in Harrods when she noticed the thick smoke.
"I saw all this black smoke coming from the sky, it was covering everything and the smell was horrendous," she said.
Ms Evans added: "It was like people were in shock, everyone immediately just started leaving the street and the area.
"There were hundreds of fire engines, ambulances, police racing by and helicopters overhead.
"After Grenfell, I feel like people are a lot more on edge about these things, people just wanted to get out."
Image copyright Jack Taylor Image caption About 120 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire
Image copyright Jack Taylor Image caption At least 20 engines have been sent to the scene in William Street
At the scene
Charlotte Gallagher, BBC News
It is a much calmer scene now than when those dramatic plumes of smoke began rising up the sky.
We don't know how the fire started, but we do believe it was either on the roof or on the upper floors at the hotel.
When I arrived, firefighters were on long extension ladders pouring water into the top of the hotel.
It is believed builders were on the roof of the hotel before the fire started.
Tourist Eric Bantug, who is visiting from Las Vegas, spoke of his shock at seeing a historic building in flames.
The 47-year-old financial services worker, said: "I was just coming up from the Tube and smelled the fire. I could smell burning.
"When I got up above ground I saw all the smoke coming out of the building.
"It's pretty old and it's a shame to see it happen."
Bosses of the international hotel chain recently announced the end of renovation work "designed to confirm this historic hotel's position as one of the best in the world".
A spokesman said: "We are aware that there is a fire at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, and that the fire brigade is at the hotel.
"As the situation is still unfolding, we have no further details to share at this time, but will provide an update soon."
Knightsbridge has been closed between Sloane Street and Grosvenor Place and a number of nearby buildings, including high-end department store Harvey Nichols, were also evacuated.
Patients and staff were evacuated from the W One cosmetic clinic next door to the hotel, according to Dr Terry Loong who said she and her team were ordered to leave the premises at about 16:00.
Transport for London said the blaze was also affecting entry to and exit from Knightsbridge station.
It tweeted: "Currently the Sloane Street entrance at the station is closed.
"Customers are advised to use the Harrods entrance."
Princess Anne had been scheduled to attend a 50th Anniversary Dinner of the Blues and Royals Club at the hotel later.
The Mandarin Oriental has previously been used by the Royal Family, including an event for British and foreign royals hosted by the Queen on the eve of Prince William's wedding in 2011.
Image copyright Mr S Image caption The fire could be seen from some distance
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