British Museum closed: Major UK tourist attraction shut after underground fire in Holborn caused power outage
A major UK tourist attraction is closed and hopes to re-open this afternoon.
The British Museum was forced to close for the day on Wednesday after an underground fire in central London caused a power cut. The blaze erupted in an electrical tunnel in Holborn on Wednesday morning.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 10 fire engines and about 70 firefighters attended the blaze, which involved “high-voltage electrical cables below street level”. It confirmed there had been no reports of any injuries and the fire was under control.
Several office blocks were evacuated and hundreds of properties have experienced loss of power. The British Museum confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that it would be closed for the rest of the day.
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Museum sources said the power cut had affected the lighting, ticketing facilities, and tills. They confirmed that power remained in some parts of the museum and back-up power supplies were in use.
The Museum is still closed today. In an update it posted on its website: “Due to a power outage in our area on Wednesday 26 November, the Museum was closed. We hope to reopen on Thursday afternoon, please check the website for updates.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.” Santander was forced to cancel its annual British reception, which was due to be held at the museum on Wednesday evening.
In an email to invited guests, the bank said: “The emergency services are still working in the area and the museum and surrounding area have been evacuated and are without power. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and short notice but we hope to reschedule the event.”