London Explosion Rips British Airways Offices

An explosion ripped through a six-story building housing the offices of British Airways in downtown London before dawn today.

Police said there were no initial reports of casualties, but firefighters said they believed some people might be missing in the fire caused by the explosion.

The fire continued to burn at sunrise, hampering any search efforts. Officers said there was no clear indication as to what caused the explosion, but they did not rule out the possibility of a bomb.

The building damaged is on Oxford Street, one of the busiest throughfares in the city during the day. At the time of the blast, the area was largely deserted.