Thousands of people evacuated and West End shows cancelled as smoke engulfs central London from underground fire

Thousands of people evacuated and West End shows cancelled as smoke engulfs central London from underground fire

Firefighters were called to the Holborn area after thick black smoke (top right) was seen billowing up from a manhole cover (left and centre) shortly after midday. Onlookers reported 'struggling to breathe' and 'chaos' in the area as those evacuated waited on the street and traffic began to pile up. West End shows including The Lion King, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Play That Goes Wrong have been cancelled tonight. Dramatic photographs from the scene showed crowds of people on the street (bottom right) as power cuts hit office buildings. By 7.20pm, firefighters appeared to have the burning manhole under control after smashing it open with sledgehammers and drenching it with water. When the hole was widened the team moved in and directed two jets of water into the pit in an attempt to fully extinguish the underground blaze.