An explosion damaged the Hyatt Regency London on Friday, injuring at least 14 people. The five-star hotel at Portman Square in Marylebone was evacuated after the blast at 11:40 p.m.

The explosion was at the hotel's kitchen in the basement which caused part of the building to collapse. A resident who lives opposite the hotel said the explosion created a large gaping hole on the building's side, while a metal garage door bulged out and windows on the street level were shattered. The hole was estimated to measure two meters high and one meter wide.

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Five vehicles parked at a nearby street were also damaged.

According to BBC, five people were brought to the hospital, two of them had leg wounds. Nine more people with injuries were treated by medics at the scene. No guests were hurt, with most of the wounded being hotel employees.

Hotel guest Raymond Reyes said it was chaotic after the blast, telling BBC, "The floor shook and there was a loud explosion simultaneously. The power went out. It was pitch dark."

The London Fire Brigade said that when the blast, suspected to be a gas explosion, hit the hotel, about 500 people were evacuated from the Hyatt's over 400 guest rooms. A Hyatt spokesman said the guests were accommodated in other hotels and authorities are assessing the extent of the damage.

The brigade includes 80 firefighters with special equipment used on collapsed edifices. Probers from the National Grid Energy Network are investigating the blast which damaged the hotel's basement and ground floor.

According to Hyatt's spokesman, "Hyatt's top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests and associates, and we are currently working to provide guests with accommodations while we evaluate whether the hotel suffered any significant damage."

Tagshyatt regency, London, blast, gas explosions