The British Museum evacuation that took place on Friday evening left hundreds of visitors standing outside the building in Bloomsbury after an alleged fire alarm forced staff to clear the galleries.
Pictures from the scene showed crowds of tourists gathered outside the museum on Great Russell Street alongside emergency services, according to The Sun, which broke the story on Friday night.
Many of those caught up in the disruption had been queueing for the museum’s blockbuster Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, and frustration was high among visitors who had waited hours for their turn.
British Museum evacuation leaves Bayeux Tapestry visitors disappointed
One visitor told The Sun: “Disappointing for those of who spent an hour and forty minutes after our ticketed time queuing to see the Bayeux Tapestry to get to reach it, and then were told to leave.”
Another described staff shouting “Emergency” and “Fire” as visitors were hustled outside, while a third said: “1.5hrs in a queue and now just evacuated from Bayeux Tapestry & British Museum. So upset.”
“Hope everyone’s okay,” one visitor added, summing up the anxious mood among those cleared from the building.
Tapestry show in huge demand since 10 September opening
The 70-metre-long Bayeux Tapestry opened to visitors at the British Museum on 10 September, and demand has been so high that tickets have been released in batches, according to The Sun.
The 11th-century embroidery, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, returned to English soil for the first time in almost 1,000 years after a top-secret overnight operation moved it from France to London in July, CNN reported. It is on display until July 2027.
Cause of alarm not yet confirmed
It was not immediately clear what triggered the alarm, and The Sun said the British Museum had been contacted for comment. The incident remains developing, with no official statement from the museum yet available.
Reporting based on The Sun.
