Central London has been engulfed by chaos after an underground electrical fire.
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated, roads sealed off and judges ordered from their chambers and West End shows cancelled after acrid smoke billowed out onto Kingsway in Holborn.
Onlookers reported "chaos" as people gathered on the streets and others said they were struggling to breath during yesterday's incident, which continued into the evening.
More than 70 firefighters tackled the blaze which began in cables beneath the main route, but were hampered by the failure to turn off power supplies for several hours.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Peter Cowup said: "Crews are currently working to prevent the spread of the fire to surrounding buildings.
"We are working closely with the various electricity companies involved to identify the source and extent of the fire, which is underground.
"As this is likely to be an electrical fire, we have to ensure the power is off before we apply water to extinguish it.
"We are working with our partners and implementing well-rehearsed plans to prevent the fire from spreading and to protect surrounding properties."
Holborn Underground station was closed because of a power failure, related to the fire. Among those evacuated in the area were judges, lawyers and staff at the nearby Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand.
Three shows, the Lion King, Beautiful and The Play That Goes Wrong at the Lyceum, Duchess and Aldwych theatres were cancelled last night.
Nicola Foxfield, 29, said: "I was walking from Covent Garden towards Holborn and I could smell burning in the air.
"As I got closer I could see fire engines everywhere, then I could see loads of thick, brown smoke rising off the road.
"It's chaos and fire engines are coming from every direction and there are so many people around."
Another witness said he "struggled to breathe" as smoke seeped through the drains as he walked along Aldwych, at the bottom of Kingsway.
He said: "I had just cycled over Waterloo Bridge and as I approached Kingsway I saw a big crowd of people and smoke billowing towards me.
"The fire crews and police officers were beginning to cordon off the area. I was close enough to see thick black smoke puffing out of the drain grills and I struggled to breathe.
"Hundreds of people were leaving their buildings on Fleet Street and Kingsway."
Office workers were left waiting on the streets, while nearby shops and cafes were plunged into darkness.
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