Residents frightened

London: Fire after planned explosion on film set

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

A "controlled explosion" on a film set in London got quite out of control on Saturday and caused a fire. The flames destroyed a van and two other vehicles were damaged in the incident near the famous O2 Arena.

Frightened residents saw a fireball and reported noise and smoke rising over the Thames on various social media channels before police told callers that the detonation was part of filming.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 25 firefighters and four fire engines were dispatched to the scene near Dock Road in the Silvertown area at 7.51pm local time.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Pictures posted on social media showed a red truck on fire with the words "BBC World News" emblazoned on the trailer. However, the BBC has confirmed that BBC News was not involved in the incident.

Fire department: Explosion got out of control
"There is no danger to the public," the Metropolitan Police said of the fire in an open area opposite the venue. The explosion on the film set had got out of control.

A van was destroyed by the fire, a car and a lorry were extensively damaged, but the blaze was brought under control at 9.02pm, the LFB statement said. There were no reports of injuries.

"Three loud bangs heard"
Local residents expressed surprise and shock after the blaze, with one calling the scene "carnage" on social media. One of them told BBC News that he had been sitting at his computer when he heard three loud bangs. When he looked out of the window, he said he saw a huge cloud of black smoke and flames billowing into the sky.