A "very serious" fire has swept through a leading cancer hospital in London Wednesday afternoon, forcing its evacuation.
Up to 75 firefighters are tackling the blaze at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Fulham Road, Chelsea, west London.
Much of the roof has been destroyed by the blaze and sent smoke billowing into the air.
The burning building has now been fully evacuated.
Several patients were laid on mattresses in a street and others were led away wrapped in blankets. They were taken to a nearby church.
Around 100 patients have been taken to a nearby church where they are being cared for by nursing staff.
Other patients have been transferred to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and the Royal Brompton.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was treating the fire as "very serious" but so far there are no reported injuries.
A LFB spokesman said there were no patients in the area where the fire started but it had spread and forced the evacuation.
Ten ambulances, five officers, a hazardous area response team and a fast response car were sent to the scene by the London Ambulance Service. A spokesman said: "Our crews are currently remaining on standby but there are no reports of any casualties at this stage."
Road leading to the hospital building have been closed.
The Royal Marsden was the first hospital in the world dedicated to cancer treatment and research into the causes of the disease. With its academic partner -- the Institute of Cancer Research, it forms the largest comprehensive cancer center in Europe, seeing more than 40,000 patients from the country and abroad each year.
Source:Xinhua
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