A fire raged at London's biggest mosque, requiring 70 firefighters to get it under control, according to The Telegraph. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) received a call on Saturday about a fire at the Baitul Futuh mosque.
"We have 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters there. The fire is affecting the building's ground and first floors. It would be fair to say it is a large fire," an LFB spokesman said.
Firefighters had the large blaze under control by 5:30 p.m. and felt confident it would be 100-percent contained during the night, the Daily Mail reported.
The Baitul Futuh mosque was built in 2003 for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, with the five plus acre complex having room for 10,500 people to pray. Luckily, no one was at prayer at the time, although one man in his 40s suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at a nearby hospital.
"It is a very beautiful building and what has happened is very sad," said Stephen Alambritis, leader of the Merton Council local authority.
"The congregation there, especially on a Friday, are very large and peaceful and they add very much to the community," says Alambritis, according to AFP. "This will be a blow to their operation but they will be back."
The LFB reported that the mosque was unaffected, but the blaze had hit administration buildings. Fire investigators will refer their findings to the police once the investigation is complete.
