Friday, April 3, 2015

Fire accident at Holborn, London

I am hesitating to continue to report the disastrous news, but this one is still influencing the life of many Londoners.


An electric fire accident occurred in a pavement at Holborn on April 1st, 2015. Big smoke rose from the block, forcing approximately 5,000 people to be evacuated.

The BBC: Holborn electrical fire causes mass evacuation

In spite of the endeavor of firefighters, the fire had been growing for 24 hours. Originally the fire was suspected to be started by an electric cable. Thousands of people suffered from blackout. Still now, electricity is not recovered in hundreds of flats.

The BBC: Holborn underground fire burns for 24 hours

The extinguishing activity is still rushing now. The blaze is under control, according to London Fire Brigade. The reason of the fire remains to be proven in detail.

The BBC: Holborn fire: Cause of blaze remains 'unknown.'

I knew the news through an email from King's College notifying that the Strand Campus was crippled. Fortunately, I did not visit there, so I was not involved. Some of my friends also did not know the accident.

I have not met such a huge accident ever before. In Japan, there are many disasters we encounter, such as earthquake and typhoon. But it is rare that a broad electric failure continues for days. I guess that a part of the infrastructure in London is so aged that there is a risk of an accident leading to mass disaster. It seems a big problem of the cities with a long history.

By the way, the internet is vulnerable in my flat these days. I am not sure it is attributed to this fire. Many people are more suffering than me. I hope the restoration will be accomplished as soon as possible.

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