Fire at 2012 London Olympic Site

Filed in archive Olympics on November 12, 2007

Just a few days ago, organizers for the 2012 London Olympics unveiled the plans new stadium. But, on Monday, a fire broke out on the site. Unluckily, no one was hurt. Police do not believe terrorism played a part in the fire.

The blaze was likely to be an accident rather than arson, added David Higgins, chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), which is in charge of games planning.

London has been on high alert since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and was hit by a suicide attack in July 2005 that killed 56 people including four bombers.

The ODA said in a statement that the building affected was being demolished.

"The fire is on the western edge of the Olympic Park on the site of an empty warehouse," about half a mile (0.8 kilometres) north of the main stadium site, it added.

Large parts of the area where the Olympics will be held, much of which are former industrial sites, are now undergoing demolition and rebuilding ahead of the Olympic Games.

The site is within view of the City of London financial district and is also close to the new high-speed Channel Tunnel rail link, which connects Britain and continental Europe and is due to come into service Wednesday.

The new Stratford International rail station, which will be on the main line to Saint Pancras station, is also nearby.

Ben Ruse, a spokesman for London and Continental Railways, which will operate the line, said the fire was very close to the line and the station but that they would not be affected.