Evacuation at Westfield Stratford City shopping center followed a fire outbreak in an East London multi-storey car park. Videos online depicted thick black smoke billowing from the car park where multiple vehicles were ablaze on Saturday afternoon. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported a substantial smoke output from the fire, with several vehicles on fire on an upper level of car park C.
The LFB urged people to steer clear of the area and confirmed the shopping center’s evacuation as a precautionary measure. Emergency services responded promptly to the incident on Montfichet Road in Stratford, with ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters dispatched, including units from Stratford, Poplar, and Leytonstone.
Firefighters utilized a 32-meter turntable ladder to combat the blaze, which was successfully contained by 5.54 pm. An official statement from the LFB pointed out the fire at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, emphasizing the need to avoid the affected area due to the significant smoke presence.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) also mobilized resources to the scene, treating two individuals who were later discharged on-site. Witness accounts from shoppers described the evacuation process, with some expressing surprise at the lack of preparedness among staff for such a large-scale evacuation. Others noted the smoke visible from the shopping center’s skyline during the incident.
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