NZ barbecue blaze forces 700 people to be evacuated

Up to 700 people were last night evacuated from New Zealand’s Olympics hospitality house after a fire.

Emergency services were called to attend at Kiwi House near King’s Cross in central London after a gas canister being used for a barbecue exploded.

Hundreds of New Zealanders who have come to London for the Games had gathered for a party before the blaze started. Brook Johnstone, 55, from Port Waikato, said: “I looked around and the gas bottle had a little flame around it.