LSE Holborn Fire: Students Forced To Seek Temporary Accommodation As Campus Stays Closed

Students at the London School of Economics have been forced to seek temporary accommodation thanks to a blazing fire which swept through the Holborn campus on Wednesday.

Firefights fought to control the blaze, which shut Holborn tube station as well as the LSE, and saw 2,000 people evacuated.. The fire, thought to have been started by a faulty electrical junction, led to power surges and internet outages in the surrounding areas.

Latest news and photos from the #HolbornFire plus details of how it is affecting theatregoers http://t.co/V2patq7dkk pic.twitter.com/7JYNffxkzz

— BBC London Newsroom (@BBCLondonNews) April 1, 2015

Flames erupted from the road via manholes, while the air turned black with smoke as onlookers reported chaos and struggling to breathe.

#fire Flames pour from manhole in Kingsway, central London, as underground fire forces 2,000 evacuated from area pic.twitter.com/GXdiPtHSsi

— Martin Brunt (@skymartinbrunt) April 1, 2015

Venting gas from an underground pipe, according to @LondonFire #HolbornFire pic.twitter.com/qJLxlSBfGS

— Richard Baker (@bakerpictures) April 1, 2015

Fire at holborn #london pic.twitter.com/idSx89HDn1

— Tom Aldrich-Smith (@tomunleashed1) April 1, 2015

LSE told HuffPost UK via Twitter students from Grosvenor House accommodation were unable to return to their homes and were put up elsewhere.

@HPYoungVoices @lsesu @sherrifflucy Any Grosvenor House students without accommodation were directed to alternative LSE halls of residence

— LSE (@LSEnews) April 2, 2015

A statement on the university's site read: "Following a major incident on Wednesday 1 April 2015 involving an underground electrical fire by the LSE campus on Kingsway, all LSE’s central campus buildings including the Library will remain closed until further notice."

All LSE’s central campus buildings including the Library will remain closed until further notice. Please avoid the campus area.

— LSE (@LSEnews) April 2, 2015

@LSEnews Just a reminder that @IALS_law Library is open today until 17:30 as an alternative for your LLM students. 17 Russell Square.

— Lisa Davies (@ladyinladywell) April 2, 2015

The @LSELibrary and all #LSE campus buildings are closed today. Info on using other libraries here: http://t.co/uNMzI2b9QI

— LSE (@LSEnews) April 2, 2015

The London Fire Brigade said there have been no reports of injuries.