A historic building in central London has caught fire, sending smoke across the UK capital.
Videos on social media showed smoke and flames erupting from the rooftop of Somerset House on Saturday, formerly a royal residence, near the Thames River.
The London Fire Brigade said in a statement that 20 fire trucks and 125 firefighters were at the scene, tackling flames in part of the building's roof.
"Crews have been working incredibly hard through the very hot weather and heat of the fire to bring the fire under control and protect Somerset House," Borough commander Ben King said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The London Metropolitan Police said they were alerted to the fire at 12:25pm local time, but that no injuries were reported and no-one was inside the building.
Road closures are in place while firefighters respond to the blaze.
A statement on the Somerset House X account said the building was closed due to fire.
Somerset House was built in 1547 by Edward Seymour, and was the residence of the young Elizabeth I before she became Queen.
It is used as a gallery and arts centre and has previously hosted London Fashion Week.
Paintings by Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh housed at the palace were not damaged in the blaze.
ABC
