London Zoo set to reopen after fire

An aardvark was killed and four meerkats are missing, presumed dead

London Zoo will reopen today after a fire ripped through a cafe, killing an aardvark and leaving four meerkats unaccounted for, presumed dead.The blaze broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning.More than 70 firefighters and 10 engines were drafted to the scene to deal with the incident.A number of members of staff were treated for smoke inhalation.Misha - the 9-year-old aardvark - was the first animal to be confirmed dead after the fire. Four meerkats are currently missing, presumed dead.The Zoo said in a statement:'We are all naturally devastated by this, but are immensely grateful to the fire brigade, who reacted quickly to the situation to bring the fire under control. It’s too soon to speculate on the cause of the fire but we are working very closely with fire investigators to ascertain the cause. After consultation with fire experts attending yesterday, we are able to safely open the zoo today.The Zoo with be open from 10am today, Sunday 24 December.' Published: 24/12/2017 by Radio NewsHub