Terrified diners were seen screaming and rushing out of the burning building.
Hundreds of Christmas revelers and diners at a Latin American restaurant in London's West End were forced to escape for their lives after Christmas decorations caught fire. The incident was reported from MNKY HSE restaurant on Dover Street in Mayfair on Friday night, according to a Guardian report.
Many videos of the incident have emerged on social media capturing the terrifying moment when a Christmas tree caught fire, and arched over a doorway. Meanwhile, terrified diners were seen screaming and frantically rushing out of the burning building. Some were seen still holding their drinks, while some ducked beneath and crawled to the door. They were also heard screaming "Go, go, go" and "Get out" and some falling to the floor in the rush to escape the flames.
Watch the video here:
According to Express.co.uk, five fire engines and at least 25 firefighters arrived at the restaurant but the fire had already been put out, and thermal imaging was used to check everything was in order. Two people were reportedly injured in this fire and were treated by ambulance staff for their injuries.
"Firefighters were called to a fire at a restaurant on Dover Street in Mayfair. Christmas decorations inside the building were alight and had been extinguished before firefighters arrived. Around 300 people were evacuated by on-site staff and crews carried out a systematic search of the property to ensure no one was inside on arrival," the London Fire Brigade said.
The fire "was believed to have been caused by an indoor sparkler catching a natural Christmas tree alight", the spokesperson said.
"There are many fire hazards over Christmas and we want Londoners to be safe and take steps to prevent fires from occurring and spoiling the festive season. Please keep candles or in this case indoor fireworks away from Christmas trees and decorations,'' the spokesperson told MyLondon.