LONDON—More than 70 firefighters tackled a blaze at London Zoo on Saturday Dec. 23 after a fire broke out at a cafe and shop at the attraction.
The blaze broke out shortly after 6:00 a.m. local time, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. The fire was near an area where visitors can handle and feed animals.
Although no animals were immediately reported to have been injured, one aardvark was missing.
“The fire at @zsllondonzoo is now under control but crews will remain on the scene throughout the morning damping down the fire which has affected a cafe and a shop,” the LFB said on Twitter.
Ten fire engines were sent to the zoo, located in Regent’s Park in central London. The LFB had earlier said that about three-quarters of the Adventure Café and a gift shop were alight. The cause of the fire was not yet known.
“ZSL London Zoo is currently dealing with an incident on site. We will update as quickly as the situation allows,” the zoo said on Twitter.
The attraction, the world’s oldest scientific zoo which dates it origins back to 1826, houses 20,166 animals, according to its inventory for 2017.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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