60 firefighters tackle blaze at Shadwell rickshaw depot in railway arches under Fenchurch Street main line

Fire has broken out in Shadwell under railway arches in Cable Street affecting the DLR and main-line Fenchurch Street trains.

Six emergency crews from fire-stations across east London and south-east London were called in to tackle the blaze at 4.15pm.

The fire started in a railway arch used as a storage depot for rickshaws, but no injuries have been reported.

“The fire broke out in a business under the railway arches,” fire-brigade station commander Mark Jordan said. “Trains on the DLR are running at reduced speeds so services may be affected.”

Crews are containing the blaze without having to close roads, but rush-hour traffic along Cable Street remains heavy, so the fire brigade is advising drivers to avoid the area.

The blaze was under control in an hour. Firefighters arriving from Shadwell fire station a few hundreds yards along Cable Street were joined by others from Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Millwall and Poplar fire stations as well as a crew from Dockhead the other side of the river in Bermondsey. The cause of the fire is being investigated.