Tragedy struck again in London, as huge fire engulfed a 24-storey apartment block in West London. London Fire Brigade confirms that 200 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze as rescue workers try to evacuate the building located in Lancaster West Estate in North Kensington.
The London Fire Brigade said it had sent 45 fire engines to the scene of the blaze at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, where a number of people were trapped.
The fire, which broke out about 1:00am before spreading through the entire building from the second floor upwards, has for the most part has been brought under control.
“I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities,” London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said.
“I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building and it would clearly be wrong for me to speculate further.
“Equally, the cause of this fire is not known at this stage.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said a “major incident” had been declared in response to the blaze, which London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Dan Daly described as “large and very serious”.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus are working extremely hard in very difficult conditions to tackle this fire,” Mr Daly said.
There are grave concerns for residents who were at the top of the building when the fire broke out.
More than 200 people live in the tower, but it was not clear how many people were inside.
Police said a number of people were treated for a range of injuries and the London Ambulance Service said 30 patients had been taken to five hospitals.
Source: ABC