Those trapped on the lower floors could see fire crews trying to get to them, but higher up the building the inferno was too intense to let rescuers get close. People living nearby alerted by the smell of smoke, came to the site and filmed what they saw. Many had come to see if they could help, but with flaming debris falling from the tower block their lives were at risk too. They need to ring 999 and there is a dedicated line for this incident. 0k . On the ground, police cleared a wide cordon and closed the nearby aao in and out of london. Some 200 fire engines were brought in to tackle the blaze. As the hours passed, the concern was whether the building might collapse and who might still be trapped inside. Many people were led to safety, but some 30 were taken to hospital. Others were counting their blessings. David benjamin was in the block when the fire began. There was smoke everywhere. Literally everywhere. There was people downstairs. There was bits of cladding falling off the b
London Ambulance Service has treated a64 london Ambulance Service has treated a 64 patients and taken to six hospitals across london including major Trauma Centres at kings couege major Trauma Centres at Kings College and st mary s and paddington. I can also confirm that a further ten patients have presented themselves to hospitals across london. Our thoughts are clearly with everyone who has been affected by this tragic set of circumstances. We continue to have large members of staff including paramedics and advanced paramedics and specialist trauma teams from the London Ambulance along with Hazardous Area Response teams that are specially trained and carried specialist equipment such as the use of Breathing Apparatus to support oui of Breathing Apparatus to support our colleagues in London Fire Brigade and the ongoing management of the situation. As my colleague the commissionerfor the of the situation. As my colleague the commissioner for the london of the situation. As my colleague
And the fire broke out in the early hours of this morning between 12 and one oclock. The first call to the Metropolitan Police was at 1 15am. The blaze, you can see now there are no flames this stage, just smoke, and you can see the damage done to the building. Lets give you a sense from the images last night from the early hours of the morning. You can get a real sense of the scale of the blaze that was engulfing the building. Lets tell you about who is tackling the fire at the moment. Around 200 firefighters, a0 fire engines, and of course London Ambulance has sent a number of vehicles and medical staff to the scene. 0ur Correspondent is at the scene this morning. Tell us what you can see. Well, you can see the block is still alight. You can see some flames there. You can see the Fire Brigade Hosing down the lower reaches of the building. But the fire service said that this was a blaze reaching from the second floor right up to the 27th floor. Its been a blaze for five hours now. We
Hearing from them later in the programme. We will Hearfrom Karl Mercer at a nearby mosque which opened its doors to help those in need tonight, who were evacuated from the tower block itself. Alice has a different Vantage Point of the one ive got now. Firstly, i think we should hear from those affected most. People who tonight are counting themselves lucky to escape alive. People who lost their homes and in many cases, people who have lost just about everything and in many cases, people who have lostjust about everything they own. Lostjust about everything they own. Today lostjust about everything they own. Today is the 14th ofjune. 2am, i was woken up by the siren noise. It was my son that woke me up. I think it was about 1 20am. And where were you . On the 17th floor. We grabbed them. We ran downstairs, it took us a solid four minutes to get out, just as i was entering the ground floor, The Fire Brigade was coming up. It was moving very fast. I cannot imagine, it was so fast. I looke
Windows werent, and there were people in there. You could see the silhouettes. And then the next thing, explosions. The London Fire Brigade desperately struggled to reach the upper floors, but were repelled by the heat and falling debris. This is a completely unprecedented fire. In my 29 years in the London Fire Brigade, i have never seen a fire of this nature and i have seen many high rise fires. Residents are sheltering in nearby Community Centres, some are missing family members. The investigation begins into how the fire started, and how it was allowed to take hold with such devastating effect. Around 70 people are being treated in six london hospitals, 20 people are in a critical condition. The fire is still burning firefighters say it will still be some hours before its out. Well be bringing you the latest, in this extended programme. Stay with bbc news for all the developments from our correspondence. Good evening from west london where a huge fire is still burning after it engu