London’s Somerset House, known for housing priceless artworks by Van Gogh and Monet, was fortunately unharmed by a recent fire that broke out at the historic site on Saturday, as confirmed by the gallery.
A team of around 125 firefighters and 20 engines successfully extinguished the flames that engulfed the roof of the western wing, bringing the fire under control before 7:00 pm (1800 GMT).
“The fire at #SomersetHouse is now under control and investigations into the cause will begin,” announced the London Fire Brigade on social media.
The fire broke out while a breakdancing competition was scheduled to take place at the neoclassical cultural complex along the Thames River, leading to an emergency response from the fire department due to the visible smoke.
Thankfully, there were no injuries reported as all staff and visitors had evacuated the building prior to the arrival of the fire crews.
Despite the closure of Somerset House until further notice, the Courtauld Gallery, housing masterpieces like Van Gogh’s “Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear,” remains open and unaffected by the fire.
Additional movies and events that have featured the iconic Somerset House include “Love Actually” in 2003, “The Duchess” in 2008, and two James Bond films.
“Crews are continuing to work diligently to protect Somerset House from further damage amid the challenging conditions,” added Assistant Commissioner Foster.
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