London Zoo closed after fire

London: An aardvark was killed and four meerkats are missing after a blaze tore through part of London Zoo early on Saturday, shutting the popular tourist attraction until further notice as staff assess the damage.

The fire broke out shortly after 6am local time at the zoo's Animal Adventure section before spreading to an adjacent gift shop and cafe, near to an area where visitors can handle and feed animals, the zoo and the fire brigade said.

More than 70 firefighters took three hours to bring the blaze under control while desperate keepers who live on the site in Regent's Park in central London moved animals to safety. Some of the staff needed treatment for smoke inhalation and shock.

Misha, the 10-year-old aardvark, one of the attraction's best-loved animals, perished in the fire and four of the meerkats were unaccounted for, said Dominic Jermey, the zoo's director-general.

"At the moment we're not certain what has happened to the meerkats, but I'm not optimistic at this stage, unfortunately," he told BBC TV.