Inferno in eighth-floor London tower block flat leaves one person in hospital as residents are evacuated and dozens of firefighters battle flames
- Up to 70 firefighters were on scene battling the apartment fire in Tower Hamlets
- London Fire Brigade say they rescued four people and got the fire under control
- In total 20 people were evacuated and one was taken to hospital for treatment
- The cause of the fire which took place on the eighth floor is under investigation
A fire tore through an eighth floor flat in a London tower block leaving one person in hospital after dozens of firefighters battled the late-night blaze.
Up to 70 firefighters were on scene in Tower Hamlets, London, where 20 people were evacuated with four people rescued by crews wearing breathing apparatus.
London Fire Brigade said the five-bedroom apartment where the fire started was on the eighth floor of the building and that they were called shortly after 10.30pm on Monday night.
Inferno: Four people were rescued and as many as 20 people were evacuated from this tower block in east London after a fire broke out in an eighth floor apartment on Monday night
London Fire Brigade says it sent 70 firefighters to the scene to battle the blaze in Tower Hamlets on Monday night with ten crews from across the capital responding to the incident
London Fire Brigade said the five-bedroom apartment where the fire started was on the eighth floor of the building and that they were called shortly after 10.30pm on Monday night
The fire service sent 10 crews to the scene with dozens of firefighters working to get the blaze under control
The brigade received as many as 40 calls from concerned members of the public about the fire, with pictures from the scene showing flames bursting from the windows.
The fire service sent 10 crews to the scene with dozens of firefighters working to get the blaze under control.
Footage shows firefighters using an aerial ladder platform to spray water directly into the flat via the property’s balcony as the crews had the fire under control in just over an hour.
Station Commander Matt Williams, who was at the scene, said: ‘Firefighters evacuated 20 people from the building and rescued four people via an internal staircase.
‘One of the Brigade’s new 32-metre ladders from Old Kent Road Fire Station was used as a water tower and crews also used drones to provide an aerial view of the incident and increase situational awareness.
‘Abbott Road is closed at the A13 junction down to the junction by Blair Street.
LFB said they used new 32-metre ladders as a water tower to tackle the blaze late last night
Pictures show the devastation after the fire crews were able to get the blaze under control
‘Firefighters are expected to remain on scene throughout the night and we urge people to avoid the area whilst crews continue to work to make the scene safe.’
The Brigade was called at 10.33pm and the fire was under control by 11.48pm.
LFB said crews from Plaistow, East Ham, Greenwich, Shoreditch and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.
Police officers from the Met confirmed they were also on scene and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Tower Hamlets Police shared a post on their official Twitter account that read: ‘Officers from Central East BCU are on scene assisting colleagues from the LFB & LAS in response to this incident.’