LONDON—A major fire broke out late Saturday at London's famous Camden market, ripping through one　 of the city's top tourist draws and a nearby celebrity hangout, fire officials and witnesses said.

Flames from the blaze sent bright red cinders and huge plumes of smoke into the night sky. Fire officials said the blaze was brought under control more than three hours after it was reported. There were no casualties reported.

The fire spread quickly across the market and surrounding buildings, consuming part of the Hawley Arms, a famous pub that has attracted celebrities including singer Amy Winehouse, rocker Peter Doherty and model Kate Moss.

Associated Press Television News video showed firefighters shooting water on the upper stories of the building housing the pub, eventually controlling the flames.

Hundreds of people poured out into the streets, taking pictures of the inferno as police tried to push the crowds back and set up protective cordons.

"I've never seen a fire spread that fast," said Ross Smith, 28, who works for a local tattoo parlor. "It was licking up the buildings."

Police said it was too early to comment on the possible cause of the blaze.

A London fire department spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy, said more than 100 firefighters and 20 vehicles were at the scene fighting the inferno at the sprawling clothes and crafts market.

The culturally vibrant Camden area has six open-air and indoor markets hawking everything from handmade soaps to second hand clothing. Originally established as a craft market in 1974, it is now the center of London's alternative fashion scene, and its clubs and bars are popular with musicians.

Firefighters said the fire was centered around the Camden Canal Market, where a number of stalls had been consumed.

The maze-like markets are packed tightly on weekends when hordes of tourists descend on Camden to snap up T-shirts and jewelry. Some traders have been protesting the local authority's plan to redevelop the Stables Market, one　 of Camden's biggest, into two new four-story commercial structures




런던 북쪽의 캠턴 마켓.....자유주의자들의 집합 장소이고, 패션과 유행이 창조되는

이 지역에서 화재가 발생... 많은곳이 소실 되었다고...

얼마전부터 이곳에 한번 다녀 오려고 했었는데...이제는 많은 곳이 연기와 함께 사라져

버렸다고...

오늘 신랑이 만난 고딕주의자 친구는 이제 무슨 낙으로 사나 싶다고 했다는데...


 



어제 저녁부터 컴퓨터가 왔다리 갔다리....그리하여 전혀 한국 소식을 모르다가

저녁때 외출에서 돌아온 신랑이 겨우 인터넷을 연결...그리고 한국 신문 사이트를

들어갔다가 내 눈을 의심 했다....


뭐...............숭례문이....



그리고 가슴에서 뜨거운 것이 올라왔다...

어떻게 숭례문이 화재로 전소가 되었단 말인가......................

우리나라의 국보1호...한국의 상징이고, 서울의 상징인데....

어떻게....






(사진 구글에서 가져옴...)








세상에.................

어떻게 이런일이....



이 숭례문 화재 때문에 신랑이랑 싸웠다.

내가 화재 소식을 알렸고, 신랑이 처음에 나를 위로 하다가 자기 컴퓨터로 영문판 신문을

보았는데,  그 신문왈, 숭례문의 많은 부분이 1960대에 재건축 한것이고, 이번에 불이 난것은

그 재건축 부분만 이라고....

그래서 내가 부분 소실이 아니고 전체다 소실 되었다고...전소되었다고 했더니, 이 사람이

자기가 읽은것에는 그렇지 않다고....

서로 자기가 읽은 기사가 옳다고 씩씩 거리다가, 지금 냉전중...



어떻게 국보1호 숭례문(내게는 남대문 이라는 말이 더 친숙하다)를 이렇게

허술하게 관리 하다니....



너무나 가슴이 아프고 화가 나고, 그리고 허망해서....


이번에 서울에 가면 아이들에게 보여 주려고 했는데....