13 September 2025 , 21:30
733
0
Shoppers were evacuated after a fire broke out at Westfield in Stratford, east London.
Seventy firefighters were sent to the scene after the blaze tore through the shopping centre’s car park.
Ten fire engines arrived to combat the flames on Montfichet Road after a vehicle reportedly caught fire on the upper level.
Footage from the site shows concerned customers leaving the shopping centre during a precautionary evacuation.
Images show a thick plume of smoke rising into the sky as onlookers took to social media while they watched.
One wrote on X: "Full evacuation of Westfield Stratford underway due to reports of a fire. Staff seemed very unprepared for this. You’d think there would be a protocol for such a major evacuation involving thousands of people."
"I was just passing through when the alarm went off, only at one end of Westfield shopping centre, which is odd. People weren’t bothered not moving after hearing the fire safety announcement/alarm and you could see the smoke through the skyline," another onlooker wrote.
The London Fire Brigade said in a statement: "A number of vehicles are currently on fire on an upper level of the car park.
"The fire is producing a significant amount of smoke and we’re advising people to avoid the area at this time.
"The Brigade received the first of 35 calls at 16.05 and Control Officers have mobilized crews from Stratford, Poplar, Leystonstone and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
"A 32-meter turntable ladder is also attending to assist firefighters in extinguishing the fire."
This happened as West Ham supporters were heading to the London Stadium for the game against Tottenham Hotspur at 5:30 pm.
Fans en route to the match at the Stratford stadium also posted online as they saw black smoke rising from the nearby shopping centre.
World Affairs Correspondent