BAFTA headquarters rocked by explosion

An investigation has been launched following an explosion outside the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) headquarters in London. The streets around the film organisation’s base in Piccadilly were closed on Wednesday night (02Jul14) following the blast, which is believed to have been caused by an underground electrical fault.
Fire and smoke poured out of a manhole cover outside the BAFTA building and a truck was on fire. Emergency services raced to the scene and workers were evacuated from the surrounding area.
A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade says, “A manhole cover had exploded and spread to a nearby parked van… Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution but there were no injuries. The cause of the fire is being investigated but at this stage is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault beneath the manhole cover.”
There were no reported injuries.