Olympic guest house caught in blaze

The explosion at the temporary hospitality house for New Zealand fans, Kiwi House, happened when hundreds of supporters gathered there for a party on Wednesday.

The blast was caused by a barbecue canister, which one of the supporters at the venue at the time said “blew the roof off the barbecue area.”

Other witnesses said the incident apparently left no injuries and that no athletes were present at the venue when the canister exploded.

“There was this massive explosion, a massive explosion, as in turning around expecting to see debris flying and flames everywhere. The whole thing was basically engulfed in flames. It was quite dramatic,’’ said Louise Rae who is a New Zealander based in London.

The New Zealand Olympic committee confirmed the blaze at the venue near London’s King’s Cross station did not cause any injuries.

"There was a fire this evening at approximately 7.30pm in the outdoor area of Kiwi House in London, an outdoor oven caught fire," the New Zealand Olympic committee said in a statement.

"People were safely and swiftly evacuated, and emergency services were called. Once people were safely evacuated the BBQ gas bottle exploded. There are no reported injuries and the situation is now contained," it added.

Kiwi House, set up inside Central St Martins College, is open to athletes, officials and the public and is near the Javelin high speed train terminal that takes passengers to the Olympic Park.