After a fire broke out earlier this afternoon at a train station in south London, large plumes of thick, dark smoke are still rising.

A fire in Elephant and Castle prompted a number of evacuations, according to the London Metropolitan Police.

“Police were called at approximately 1:47 pm in response to a fire on Elephant Road, SE17,” according to a statement.

“At the site, officers and the London Ambulance Service are assisting the London Fire Brigade.

“There are numerous road restrictions in place, and the public is warned to stay away from the area.

“The station has been evacuated, and residents are being evacuated.

“At this time, the incident is not thought to be linked to terrorism.”

Over 70 firefighters and scores of cops are still on the scene.

Officers have taped off Walworth Road, which leads up to the station's Elephant Road entrance.

A big plume of smoke can be seen billowing above the region, which looks to have started beneath railway arches near the station.

“We have ten fire engines and 70 firemen attending & have taken nearly fifty 999 calls,” the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said in a tweet. Please stay away from the area.”

The incident was originally reported at 1.43 p.m. on Monday afternoon, according to a spokesman for the service, and 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters are currently on the scene.

The neighboring train station, according to the LFB, has been closed.

Large plumes of smoke can be seen pouring from Elephant and Castle station in videos posted to social media, with one clip showing a tiny explosion within.

Sara Scarpa, 25, lives in Hurlock Heights, an adjacent apartment block, and stated smoke and explosion noise had reached her window.

“We opened the window for a second because we could hear people screaming, and we smelled something really strong,” she explained.

“The smoke was fading a little... We heard an explosion, and it has already started all over again.”

As a result of the fire, several train lines in and around the city have been shut down.

At around 2 p.m., Martin Bobrowski, a builder who works across the street from the station, said he heard ambulances and police cars going by before noticing smoke rising from the station.

“I heard the cops arrive and assumed there had been an accident nearby, but then they began blocking the route. He continued, "I immediately went outside for a cigarette and saw all the black smoke."

“I was both shocked and terrified when I saw it. They haven't said anything to us. The odor was terrible. It smelled like a smoldering electrical cable.”

Officers on the scene reported the station, as well as the nearby Strata residential building, had been completely evacuated.

They called it a "major incident" and said road closures would be in place for "several hours" as they attempted to prevent people from "coming and going."