Around 70 firefighters are tackling a blaze at a hotel in Hackney, east London, with the public urged to stay away while crews bring the fire under control.
The London Fire Brigade said ten fire engines had been sent to the hotel on Amhurst Road, close to Hackney Central station, after the alarm was raised on Saturday afternoon. A room on an upper floor of the building is alight, according to the brigade.
Control officers received the first of 14 calls about the fire at 4.52pm and mobilised crews from Homerton, Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Islington and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
With smoke drifting across the area, residents nearby have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed. The brigade also warned of traffic disruption on Amhurst Road and asked people to avoid the area where possible.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and the brigade had not reported any injuries in its update. Firefighters remained at the scene on Saturday evening as the incident continued.
This is a developing story, and the London Fire Brigade is expected to issue further updates as crews work to extinguish the fire.
