Grenfell Tower in North Kensington continued to burn this morning after fire engulfed the 130-apartment, 24-storey block early this morning. Around 200 firefighters are tackling the blaze.
The fire on the Lancaster West Estate was reported at six minutes to one this morning. There are fears that the tower could collapse, and a significant number of people are unaccounted for.
Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council has told Sky News: “Several hundred would have been in there. It’s a question of establishing how many were in there at the time of the fire.” He said that the building had undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment, adding that he was not in a position to answer any questions about the structure.
One eyewitness told The Guardian: “The sheer scale and the speed with which it spread, the closer you got, it seems like there must be casualties and fatalities.” Another eyewitness has spoken of people at the top level of the building flashing mobiles or torches: "they obviously can't get out".
The BBC's Simon Lederman reports that firefighters had not been able to tackle flames on higher storeys.
The London Ambulance Service says that some 50 people have now been taken to five hospitals. Ambulance crews at the scene. It has been confirmed that there have been fatalities. It is believed that up to 600 people were in the building. The cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed.