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200 FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE

Massive fire hits 27-storey London tower, several injured

LONDON, June 14, 2017

A huge fire engulfed a 27-storey block of flats in central London on Wednesday injuring a number of people and possibly trapping some residents inside the towering inferno, reported Reuters.

Massive flames licked up the sides of the block as 200 firefighters battled the blaze along with 40 fire engines, it stated.

At least 30 people were injured in the fire that swept through the London skyscraper early Wednesday, reported the AFP quoting emergency services sources.

"We can confirm that we have taken 30 patients to five London hospitals following the incident," Stuart Crichton, assistant director of operations at the London Ambulance Service said, adding that more than 20 ambulance crews as well as a "hazardous area response team" were at the scene.

Flumes of black and gray smoke billowed into the air over London hours after the blaze was sparked.

Hundreds of rescue personnel were at the scene of a mammoth fire at a residential tower in West London on Wednesday, police was quoted as saying in a NBC report.

Police, fire and ambulance crews raced to Grenfell Tower, part of the Lancaster West housing estate about a mile northwest of Kensington Palace, said the report.

The London Fire Brigade said it had sent 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters to battle the inferno, which it said was reported at 12:54 a.m. Wednesday local time (7:54 p.m. ET Tuesday).

London Metropolitan Police would say only that "a number of people are being treated for a range of injuries"; authorities said more than 20 ambulances were dispatched to the scene, reported NBC .

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that the fire had been declared a "major incident."

"This is a large and very serious incident and we have deployed numerous resources and specialist appliances," Assistant Fire Commissioner Dan Daly said in a statement. No cause had been determined.

Police said the 120-unit tower was being evacuated. Cordons were erected to seal off the scene, and people were urged to avoid the area.

Grenfell Tower was recently totally refurbished, according to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the local governing authority, reported NBC.

According to Rydon, the architectural firm that carried out the renovation, Grenfell Tower is 24 stories tall. Fire authorities, however, described it as a 27-storey building, it added.




Tags: Fire | London tower | evacute |

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