Students at Royal Holloway may have been left wondering where their sushi fix had gone, towards the end of last term.
The sushi supplier for Royal Holloway had, in-fact, exploded in the early hours of December 1st 2014.
The major fire closed Staines town centre, after the blaze broke out in several industrial units, including that of Royal Holloway’s sushi supplier: Tanpopo Japanese Food, at Unit L4 on the estate.
Homes were evacuated and about 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at the Renshaw Industrial Estate. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said the fire, which broke out shortly after midnight, was thought to be due to propane cylinders exploding. Three industrial buildings have been almost completely destroyed.
Surrey Police tweeted that the town centre was closed to traffic because of the “major” fire and urged drivers to avoid the area. However, South East Coast Ambulance service stated there were no casualties reported.
One local woman said she was concerned to see police officers wearing face masks. She said she could smell the smoke and see it in the air but nobody had told them anything. Alan Clark, fire area commander for Staines, said firefighters and police were wearing masks because they were going into the affected areas. He said residents should avoid prolonged exposure to the smoke, but that it was “already drifting away”. Asbestos roof sheeting had been found at the site but posed no risk to the public, he added. About 20 people were moved from their homes to a local rest centre.
The fire service said crews were working with police, the ambulance service, the council, utility companies, the Red Cross and the Environment Agency to resolve the situation.
However, for now, it looks like Royal Holloway students ‘cod’ have some waiting to do before sushi returns to their food outlets. Not very rice. If you can think of a better fish pun, let minnow.