Huge blaze in London

2012-08-12 18:29

London fire engine ( Shutterstock)

London - Firefighters were tackling a massive blaze at an east London recycling centre on Sunday, saying it was the biggest the city had seen in several years.

Olympic organisers said the fire - which is about 11km east of the Olympic Park - would have no effect on the Games' closing ceremony planned for the evening. By late Sunday, wind was blowing the smoke away from the park.

The London fire brigade said in a statement that the whole of the 50m x 100m,  single storey building was on fire and that, at one point, a plume of smoke could be seen across the capital.

"We've not seen a fire of this size in London for several years," London fire commissioner Ron Dobson said.

"It's certainly a dramatic end to the Olympics for the London fire brigade."

The statement said more than 200 firefighters drawn from across the city were fighting the fire in Dagenham, an industrial, riverside area at the very edge of the capital.

"I would like to reassure people that we are still able to attend incidents across the capital and the fire cover we're providing at the Olympic venues has not been affected," Dobson said.

The cause of the fire wasn't yet known.

No injuries have been reported.

- AP