Historic Somerset House is a large building complex and arts and culture center on the south side of the Strand in central London, just east of Waterloo Bridge.
Around 125 fire constables were deployed to fight the flames, and on Saturday evening they got the fire under control. The fire service continued its work to extinguish the last flames, and the subsequent extinguishing was expected to last until Sunday, the fire service in the British capital said.
The center was closed as a result of the fire, but no one was injured. The cause of the fire will be investigated.
– The fire was discovered at 12 o’clock in a corner of the west wing, the place was immediately evacuated, and the fire brigade called. They arrived very quickly, says director Jonathan Reekie of the Somerset House Trust.
The west wing mainly consists of offices, and there are no works of art in that area, he adds. Somerset Housea Courtauld Gallery houses priceless works of art by Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh, among others.
Saturday’s program included a breakdance event, but it was canceled as a result of the fire.
The neoclassical building was erected almost 250 years ago after the original Somerset House was demolished. It was built in 1547 by order of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, who was later executed in the Tower of London.
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2024-08-18 09:44:11
