London hotel fire: Firefighters tackle huge blaze at Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge - as it happened
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.
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."
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.
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."
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."
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.
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.
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