Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a gym in East London following a “chemical incident”.

At a gym in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square, a strong smell triggered the alert. The fire brigade of the UK capital reported, “The teams swept the building and found high levels of smoke.”

A “chemical incident” forced the evacuation of around 900 people from a gym in London, according to the city’s fire department.

The incident began shortly after 9 a.m., when employees discovered “elevated” levels of gases in the structure.

“Firefighters have been called by a smell of chemicals in a gym in Cabot Square, in Canary Wharf. A mixture of chemicals has caused high levels of smoke and steam in the building,” said the firefighters in a statement published on their website.

The station commander, Dave Hill, said: “The teams swept the building and found high levels. We have ventilated the place and are monitoring smoke levels.”

Hill, who quickly arrived at the scene, reported the evacuation of some 900 people “as a precaution.”

The Brigade was dispatched at 09:08 local time, and the incident is still ongoing. On the scene are two fire trucks from Millwall and Poplar stations, as well as two rescue units from Bethnal Green and Euston.

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