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H S Rao in London
A fire broke out in Buckingham Palace, the official residence of United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II, forcing evacuation in the middle of celebrations to honour the queen for her 50 years in the throne.
The blaze broke out at 1841 hours UK local time in the loft of the west terrace but was brought under control within an hour. No one was injured, a Scotland Yard spokesman said.
Hundreds of people, including pop stars and technicians, had been rehearsing for a jubilee concert slated for Monday night when the incident occurred.
A massive music auditorium with a stage and stands had been constructed in the garden and rehearsals were under way when the fire was spotted.
Television channels showed smoke coming up from one area of the palace roof.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze, which broke out at a time when no member of the royal family was present.
Everyone in the building was safely evacuated after the fire, described by the palace as 'not serious', was put out by crews wearing breathing apparatus.
"The fire brigade personnel are currently assessing the situation and the palace has been evacuated as a precautionary measure," a spokesman said.
Phil Collins, Eric Clapton and guitarist Brian May are among those slated to perform before a crowd of 12,000 people who won their tickets in a lottery.
PTI
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