Thousands of visitors to the British Museum in London are evacuated after an alarm is triggered during a viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry on 18 September. Reports say around 3,700 people are ordered out, with many spending time waiting outside and in queues afterwards.
The incident is linked to a fire alarm being activated by an overheating light, according to local reporting. The evacuations leave some Bayeux Tapestry ticket holders disappointed after waiting for entry and then being made to leave.
Coverage differs in emphasis, with outlets using wording such as “evacuated” and “forced out,” but they broadly agree on the scale of the evacuation, the timing, and that the alarm activation is attributed to a technical issue rather than an identified fire. The Yahoo UK report references the evacuation, while Scottish and Manchester outlets report similar figures and circumstances.
