London Grenfell Tower fire: 'A number of fatalities', says fire brigade chief

The fire engulfed all floors from the second to the top of the Grenfell Tower, where several hundred people lived.

"At this time I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities, I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building," Commissioner of the London Fire Bridage Dany Cotton told reporters.

The London Ambulance Service confirmed that more than 50 patients were taken to five London hospitals, adding that more than 20 ambulance crews as well as a "hazardous area response team" were at the scene.

Police said they received reports of a large fire at a block of flats in the Lancaster West Estate, in the north Kensington area, at 1.16am (0016 GMT). The fire raged through the night, with emergency crews still fighting the fire hours later in the morning.

Witnesses could hear screaming from the upper floors as the flames rose, and one desperate resident could be seen waving a white cloth from a top floor window.

LONDON: A number of people have been killed in a huge fire that ripped through a 27-storey London block of flats early on Wednesday (Jun 14), with at least 30 people injured.

The fire engulfed all floors from the second to the top of the Grenfell Tower, where several hundred people lived.

"At this time I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities, I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building," Commissioner of the London Fire Bridage Dany Cotton told reporters.

The London Ambulance Service confirmed that more than 50 patients were taken to five London hospitals, adding that more than 20 ambulance crews as well as a "hazardous area response team" were at the scene.

Police said they received reports of a large fire at a block of flats in the Lancaster West Estate, in the north Kensington area, at 1.16am (0016 GMT). The fire raged through the night, with emergency crews still fighting the fire hours later in the morning.

Witnesses could hear screaming from the upper floors as the flames rose, and one desperate resident could be seen waving a white cloth from a top floor window.

"Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are working extremely hard in very difficult conditions to tackle this fire," London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Dan Daly said. "This is a large and very serious incident and we have deployed numerous resources and specialist appliances."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted that a "major incident" has been declared at Grenfell Tower in Kensington.

He later said that "a lot" of victims were still unaccounted for.

"A lot of people are unaccounted for. Some of them could have found safe refuges in the homes of their neighbours or their friends," Khan told Sky News television as smoke billowed from the charred 27-storey building.

"MATTER OF TIME BEFORE BUILDING COLLAPSES"

Witnesses said they heard screams for help from inside the building, The Guardian reported.

Actor and writer Tim Downie, who lives nearby, said: "It's horrendous. The whole building is engulfed in flames. It's gone. It's just a matter of time before this building collapses".

The BBC reported debris falling from the building and that explosions were heard along with the sounds of glass breaking.

Police were also clearing out nearby buildings and shut down a section of the A40 highway - a normally busy thoroughfare into London. A London Underground line passing the area near Latimer Road station was also shut down.

The cause of the fire is not known, the Fire Brigade said. But local residents had warned a year ago about a potential fire risk caused by rubbish being allowed to accumulate during improvement works.

"This matter is of particular concern as there is only one entry and exit to Grenfell Tower during the improvement works," read a blog post by the Greenfell Action Group.

"The potential for a fire to break out in the communal area on the walkway does not bear thinking about as residents would be trapped in the building with no way out," it said.

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