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A large fire has broken out at a mosque complex in south London.
The blaze at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, which describes itself as the largest mosque in western Europe, was being tackled by 70 firefighters.
The London Fire Brigade said the fire was contained to an administration building and the mosque itself was unaffected. They said the blaze was under control by about 17:30 BST.
A man was taken to hospital suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.
The brigade was called at just after 12:00 BST to the mosque, which also has a community centre attached.
Only a handful of worshippers were inside the mosque when the blaze started and they were evacuated from the site.
About 50% of the building's ground floor has been damaged as well as part of the first floor and a section of the roof.
Fire crews were set to stay at the site into the evening, damping down and dealing with the aftermath of the blaze.
'Religious significance'
Earlier, station manager Philip Morton said: "This is a large fire and our crews are working hard to minimise fire spread to other parts of the mosque.
"We are working closely with the local community to ensure our damage control operations take full regard of the religious significance of the building's contents."
Julian Roman, from Morden, told the BBC: "I saw it start from my window. There was a tiny bit of smoke, some alarms.
"Now there are firefighters, ambulances, hundreds of people."
The 5.2 acre (2.1 hectare) mosque serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and there is space for at least 10,500 worshippers, according to its website.
Fareed Ahmed from the Ahmadi Muslim Community UK said: "It's a very difficult time and obviously we're praying that it comes to a safe conclusion.
"This is a devastating accident to happen to any mosque.
"What we understand at the moment is that the mosque itself where the prayers take place at the back of the site is safe and untouched by fire."
Merton Council leader Stephen Alambritis described the mosque as a "beautiful building" and a "major landmark" in the area.
Mr Alambritis said the mosque is manned by security staff and suggested the fire could have been caused by cooking preparations rather than an arson attack.
Lord Ahmad, a high-profile member of Ahmadiyya community and junior government minister, tweeted: "This is a beautiful mosque complex which has transcended barriers and been a beacon of peace - thoughts & prayers."
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-34369710
The blaze at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, which describes itself as the largest mosque in western Europe, was being tackled by 70 firefighters.
The London Fire Brigade said the fire was contained to an administration building and the mosque itself was unaffected. They said the blaze was under control by about 17:30 BST.
A man was taken to hospital suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.
The brigade was called at just after 12:00 BST to the mosque, which also has a community centre attached.
Only a handful of worshippers were inside the mosque when the blaze started and they were evacuated from the site.
About 50% of the building's ground floor has been damaged as well as part of the first floor and a section of the roof.
Fire crews were set to stay at the site into the evening, damping down and dealing with the aftermath of the blaze.
'Religious significance'
Earlier, station manager Philip Morton said: "This is a large fire and our crews are working hard to minimise fire spread to other parts of the mosque.
"We are working closely with the local community to ensure our damage control operations take full regard of the religious significance of the building's contents."
Julian Roman, from Morden, told the BBC: "I saw it start from my window. There was a tiny bit of smoke, some alarms.
"Now there are firefighters, ambulances, hundreds of people."
The 5.2 acre (2.1 hectare) mosque serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and there is space for at least 10,500 worshippers, according to its website.
Fareed Ahmed from the Ahmadi Muslim Community UK said: "It's a very difficult time and obviously we're praying that it comes to a safe conclusion.
"This is a devastating accident to happen to any mosque.
"What we understand at the moment is that the mosque itself where the prayers take place at the back of the site is safe and untouched by fire."
Merton Council leader Stephen Alambritis described the mosque as a "beautiful building" and a "major landmark" in the area.
Mr Alambritis said the mosque is manned by security staff and suggested the fire could have been caused by cooking preparations rather than an arson attack.
Lord Ahmad, a high-profile member of Ahmadiyya community and junior government minister, tweeted: "This is a beautiful mosque complex which has transcended barriers and been a beacon of peace - thoughts & prayers."
SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-34369710
