What started as a normal Saturday morning trip to Nando’s in north-west London quickly turned into a health scare that saw two people rushed to hospital.
A suspected gas leak at the O2 Centre on Finchley Road prompted a swift emergency response, forcing the restaurant to shut its doors.
Emergency Crews Rush to the Scene
The London Fire Brigade arrived at the Hampstead branch around 10:45am after reports of a possible leak inside the busy shopping centre.
Gas leaks are no small matter — they can lead to fires, explosions, or even poisoning — so crews wasted no time in sweeping the restaurant from top to bottom.
What Firefighters Found
Despite the panic, firefighters reassured the public that their equipment detected no elevated gas levels inside the building.
As a safety measure, however, the restaurant’s gas supply was completely shut off.
While the Nando’s will remain closed until further notice, other shops and eateries inside the O2 Centre continued to operate as normal.
Two People Taken to Hospital
While the readings came back clear, the drama wasn’t over.
Paramedics treated a man and a woman at the scene before transferring them to hospital for further checks.
Their condition has not been made public, but emergency services confirmed they had both been directly affected by the suspected leak.
How Long the Incident Lasted
Firefighters stayed on-site for nearly two hours, carefully managing the situation until it was deemed safe.
By 12:28pm, the incident was officially handed over to the gas company, who will carry out further investigations into what caused the suspected leak.
Official Statements
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson explained:
“Firefighters responded to reports of a possible gas leak at a restaurant in a shopping centre on Finchley Road.
Crews carried out a systematic sweep of the property and detected no elevated readings.
A man and woman were assessed on scene by paramedics, before being removed to hospital. Firefighters isolated the property’s gas supply as a precaution.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the O2 Centre confirmed:
“The issue is being investigated, and the restaurant will remain closed until further notice.”
What Happens Next
The spotlight now falls on the gas authority to establish what triggered the suspected leak in the first place.
Until then, the branch of Nando’s will stay closed, with fans of its famous peri-peri chicken having to look elsewhere for their fix.