Major fire at newspaper & TV channel offices in Sanctuary Street

The fire brigade was called to Sanctuary Street at 10.30am on Monday.

A fire has broken out in the building which houses the offices and printing presses of the Jang newspaper group and the London bureau of Pakistan's Geo television channels.

"Basement fires can be quite hazardous due to the heat and cramped conditions," said station manager Nicola Lown.

"Firefighter crews spent about 20 minutes at a time inside the basement tackling the fire, and were then replaced by the next crew.

"Firefighters worked really hard to bring the fire under control quickly, and once the fire was out they ventilated the building and made it safe."

Crews and fire engines from Lambeth, Peckham, Dowgate, Old Kent Road, Shadwell, Whitechapel, Islington and Soho were sent to the scene.

The London Ambulance Service also sent several crews to the incident.

Sanctuary Street and the eastern section of Lant Street were closed to traffic and pedestrians whilst the emergency services dealt with the fire.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, says the London Fire Brigade.