Concrete leaks snarl London Underground traffic

London commuters suffered rush-hour chaos on Thursday after fast-setting concrete was accidently leaked into a signal control room at a major underground train station.

A stretch of London Underground's (LU) key Victoria line was closed, forcing tens of thousands of travellers to seek alternative routes home, after contractors working at Victoria station leaked the water and cement mix into the control room.

Nigel Holness, London Underground's operations director, said the mishap damaged equipment, knocking out signals on part of the line.

"The line is expected to be affected for the remainder of the day while repairs are carried out," he said.

A spokesman for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said that concrete had burst into the control room after being poured into an escalator void.

[Image via Agence France-Presse]