Firefighters rushed to tackle a fire ripping through the roof of the United Kingdom's historic Somerset House next to the River Thames in London on Saturday.
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The arts venue, originally built in 1547 and reconstructed 250 years ago, contains priceless works by Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh.
The Somerset House Trust, which manages the property said the fire broke out about midday local time (11:00 UTC/GMT) in a corner of the west wing of the former stately home.
Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, described the west wing as "mainly offices and back-of-house facilities," adding that there were no artworks in that area of the building.
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