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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2017/jun/14/grenfell-tower-major-fire-london-apartment-block-white-city-latimer-road
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Next version
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| London fire: fears of people trapped as major blaze engulfs tower block – latest | London fire: fears of people trapped as major blaze engulfs tower block – latest |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.00am BST | |
| 06:00 | |
| Council head: 'several hundred' in tower block | |
| Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of the Kensington and Chelsea council, has spoken on Sky News UK, saying that he was working to establish how many people were in the tower block at the time of the fire. | |
| “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 emergency centres had been set up nearby to accommodate people who had been evacuated from their homes. “We’re providing as much support as we can ... it’s quite hard to get accurate and up-to-date information but the council will be doing all that it can to work with residents who have been evacuated.” | |
| Paget-Brown said he had not spoken to residents who had been evacuated, but said were some being treated by emergency services. | |
| “I think at the moment the main priority is to make the building safe and ensure that residents we can evacuate are evacuated.” | |
| He said he did not know whether people were trapped within the building: “That’s a matter for the emergency services.” | |
| Paget-Brown had toured the building last May following a multi-million-dollar refurbishment. “I’m really not in any position to answer any questions about the structure. ... Clearly there’s a lot more work to do to actually evacuate the building and to establish how safe it is. | |
| “This is a very, very, very severe fire.” | |
| He said the tower block was inspected at the time of its renovation last year. “We will have to await the studies as to what the source of this has been.” | |
| 5.52am BST | |
| 05:52 | |
| Jody Martin said he got to the scene as the first fire engine was arriving at Grenfell Tower. | |
| He told the BBC: “I grabbed an axe from the fire truck, it looked like there was a bit of confusion about what to do. | |
| “I ran around the building looking for a fire escape and couldn’t see any noticeable fire escapes around the building. A lot of debris falling down. | |
| “I eventually gained entry onto the second floor, and once I got to the corridor I realised there was so much smoke there.” | |
| He added that given the thickness of the smoke, he would be surprised if anyone could have left the building without assistance. | |
| “I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window ... hearing screams, I was yelling everyone to get down and they were saying, ‘We can’t leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors’,” he said. | |
| 5.48am BST | |
| 05:48 | |
| As daylight breaks on #LatimerRoad, the fires are still raging. pic.twitter.com/P1KFzDp2PW | |
| 5.47am BST | |
| 05:47 | |
| Saint Clement Church and Saint James Church, a parish covering Notting Dale, Notting Hill, North Kensington, and Holland Park, is receiving people who have been evacuated from their homes. | |
| St clement and st James church opens its doors to people who've been evacuated and other locals pic.twitter.com/2MIAh46ZT5 | |
| Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has confirmed that he is in close contact with emergency services. | |
| I'm in close contact with @LFBCommissioner re #NorthKensington fire. @LondonFire @Ldn_Ambulance @Metpoliceuk working together at the scene. | |
| 5.40am BST | |
| 05:40 | |
| The Metropolitan Police have clarified that it is the A40 that is closed in both directions – I’ve corrected my earlier post. | |
| A40 Westway btwn Northern Rbt & Marylebone Rd - The road has been closed in both directions due to an emergency services Incident. | |
| There is no service between Hammersmith and Edgware Road on the Hammersmith and City Line, and severe delays elsewhere on the line. The fire is close to the Latimer Road tube station. | |
| No service between Hammersmith and Edgware Road due to a fire at Latimer Road. Severe delays on the rest of the line. | |
| 5.23am BST | 5.23am BST |
| 05:23 | 05:23 |
| This footage, only just shared on Twitter by Celeste Thomas, shows chaos on the streets at 1.50am, within an hour of emergency services being called to the blaze. | This footage, only just shared on Twitter by Celeste Thomas, shows chaos on the streets at 1.50am, within an hour of emergency services being called to the blaze. |
| “People in night clothes, no shoes, crying, looking for family.” | “People in night clothes, no shoes, crying, looking for family.” |
| Taken at 1.50am. People in night clothes, no shoes, crying, looking for family. #GrenfellFire #LondonFire pic.twitter.com/36AkIFMlJb | Taken at 1.50am. People in night clothes, no shoes, crying, looking for family. #GrenfellFire #LondonFire pic.twitter.com/36AkIFMlJb |
| Thomas lives nearby the tower block and had earlier posted footage of the fire. Her house is inside the police cordon, she tweeted in the last few minutes, and she had been told to stay inside with the windows shut. | Thomas lives nearby the tower block and had earlier posted footage of the fire. Her house is inside the police cordon, she tweeted in the last few minutes, and she had been told to stay inside with the windows shut. |
| 5.19am BST | 5.19am BST |
| 05:19 | 05:19 |
| Neither police, ambulance nor the fire brigade have given specifics about injuries, but multiple eyewitness accounts – including that of the Guardian reporter on the scene, Alice Ross – have spoken of people being trapped inside the building. | Neither police, ambulance nor the fire brigade have given specifics about injuries, but multiple eyewitness accounts – including that of the Guardian reporter on the scene, Alice Ross – have spoken of people being trapped inside the building. |
| Local man and witness, Tim Downie, told the Guardian it seemed impossible that there would not be fatalities. “The sheer scale and the speed with which it spread, the closer you got, it seems like there must be casualties and fatalities.” | Local man and witness, Tim Downie, told the Guardian it seemed impossible that there would not be fatalities. “The sheer scale and the speed with which it spread, the closer you got, it seems like there must be casualties and fatalities.” |
| By 5am, he said, the building was almost entirely burned out and the fire was sending a huge plume of acrid black smoke into the sky. | By 5am, he said, the building was almost entirely burned out and the fire was sending a huge plume of acrid black smoke into the sky. |
| “It has gone very quiet now, we heard a lot of sirens and screaming in the early hours, but now the building is pretty much all consumed. I hope everyone is out and being treated.” | “It has gone very quiet now, we heard a lot of sirens and screaming in the early hours, but now the building is pretty much all consumed. I hope everyone is out and being treated.” |
| He also told of seeing people using their mobile phone lights to get the attention of rescue crews. | He also told of seeing people using their mobile phone lights to get the attention of rescue crews. |
| 5.17am BST | 5.17am BST |
| 05:17 | 05:17 |
| Metropolitan Police confirm the A40 is closed in both directions as a result of the fire and are asking people to avoid the area to give authorities access to the scene. (They issued a correction to their earlier tweet, in which they’d specified the A4.) | Metropolitan Police confirm the A40 is closed in both directions as a result of the fire and are asking people to avoid the area to give authorities access to the scene. (They issued a correction to their earlier tweet, in which they’d specified the A4.) |
| A40 is closed in both directions following the #NorthKensington fire. Pls avoid the area to allow emergency services access to the scene. | A40 is closed in both directions following the #NorthKensington fire. Pls avoid the area to allow emergency services access to the scene. |
| The police cordon extends several blocks around the Grenfell Tower. | The police cordon extends several blocks around the Grenfell Tower. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.33am BST | at 5.33am BST |
| 5.14am BST | 5.14am BST |
| 05:14 | 05:14 |
| Ashish Joshi, a senior correspondent for Sky News UK, says the tower block has been gutted in the fire: “The building is pretty much burned down, there’s a tiny bit left that’s not on fire, but every single window is gutted ... there’s nothing left of it. The acrid smell is horrendous.” | Ashish Joshi, a senior correspondent for Sky News UK, says the tower block has been gutted in the fire: “The building is pretty much burned down, there’s a tiny bit left that’s not on fire, but every single window is gutted ... there’s nothing left of it. The acrid smell is horrendous.” |
| The below footage shows the damage done in the four-hour blaze, still not yet extinguished. | The below footage shows the damage done in the four-hour blaze, still not yet extinguished. |
| In the light of day, this is what the block of flats looks like right now #latimerroad pic.twitter.com/hUvrARhba6 | In the light of day, this is what the block of flats looks like right now #latimerroad pic.twitter.com/hUvrARhba6 |
| Current view, we're live below: pic.twitter.com/GETrkEejrR | Current view, we're live below: pic.twitter.com/GETrkEejrR |
| And the view from BBC broadcasting house across the city. | And the view from BBC broadcasting house across the city. |
| The view of the fire from BBC broadcasting house. The smoke stretches for miles. pic.twitter.com/ArY22kGIp5 | The view of the fire from BBC broadcasting house. The smoke stretches for miles. pic.twitter.com/ArY22kGIp5 |
| 5.07am BST | 5.07am BST |
| 05:07 | 05:07 |
| 5.06am BST | 5.06am BST |
| 05:06 | 05:06 |
| Alice Ross | Alice Ross |
| Police are evacuating Barandon Walk and Tesserton Walk adjacent to the tower, with residents asked to gather their belongings and go to a nearby church about 20 minutes ago. | Police are evacuating Barandon Walk and Tesserton Walk adjacent to the tower, with residents asked to gather their belongings and go to a nearby church about 20 minutes ago. |
| Residents from blocks surrounding Grenfell Tower are being evacuated as firefighters continue trying to contain the flames pic.twitter.com/NNmJ25UukZ | Residents from blocks surrounding Grenfell Tower are being evacuated as firefighters continue trying to contain the flames pic.twitter.com/NNmJ25UukZ |
| 5.02am BST | 5.02am BST |
| 05:02 | 05:02 |
| Fire declared major incident | Fire declared major incident |
| #NorthKensington tower block fire declared major incident, crews working hard at scene ©@Natalie_Oxford For updates:https://t.co/Gy6gUYc4ML pic.twitter.com/079acRjt7W | #NorthKensington tower block fire declared major incident, crews working hard at scene ©@Natalie_Oxford For updates:https://t.co/Gy6gUYc4ML pic.twitter.com/079acRjt7W |
| The London Ambulance Service has also tweeted a statement, attributed to Stuart Crighton, the assistant director of operations. | The London Ambulance Service has also tweeted a statement, attributed to Stuart Crighton, the assistant director of operations. |
| He says a “number of resources” are at the scene, including its specially-trained Hazardous Area Response Team and more than 20 ambulance crews, but still no detail as to the number of injuries. | He says a “number of resources” are at the scene, including its specially-trained Hazardous Area Response Team and more than 20 ambulance crews, but still no detail as to the number of injuries. |
| Our latest statement on the #NorthKensington tower block fire. We have sent over 20 ambulance crews to the scene. More to follow. pic.twitter.com/j9JD8t6I3t | Our latest statement on the #NorthKensington tower block fire. We have sent over 20 ambulance crews to the scene. More to follow. pic.twitter.com/j9JD8t6I3t |
| An evacuation process is still underway with people on the scene reporting that buildings near the Grenfell Tower are being evacuated due to falling debris. | An evacuation process is still underway with people on the scene reporting that buildings near the Grenfell Tower are being evacuated due to falling debris. |
| We are being told to leave our flats nearby due to falling debris #GrenfellTower | We are being told to leave our flats nearby due to falling debris #GrenfellTower |
| Police banging on doors of nearby flats telling residents to evacuate. #LondonFire @gmb @piersmorgan @susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/ich5sd5pBZ | Police banging on doors of nearby flats telling residents to evacuate. #LondonFire @gmb @piersmorgan @susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/ich5sd5pBZ |
| Jonathan Swain, of Good Morning Britain, says that falling debris is making fire crews’ jobs “extremely difficult and dangerous” – this video was posted 15 minutes ago. | Jonathan Swain, of Good Morning Britain, says that falling debris is making fire crews’ jobs “extremely difficult and dangerous” – this video was posted 15 minutes ago. |
| Burning falling debris making @LondonFire job extremely difficult and dangerous. Pray those inside. @gmb @piersmorgan @susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/LuvSdYWIGN | Burning falling debris making @LondonFire job extremely difficult and dangerous. Pray those inside. @gmb @piersmorgan @susannareid100 pic.twitter.com/LuvSdYWIGN |
| 4.55am BST | 4.55am BST |
| 04:55 | 04:55 |
| George Osborne, the Evening Standard editor, has tweeted this view of the “awful tower block fire” from a distance. | George Osborne, the Evening Standard editor, has tweeted this view of the “awful tower block fire” from a distance. |
| Just seen this awful tower block fire near my home in W London. My prayers with those affected & heroes tackling it pic.twitter.com/MFi1DAnCSK | Just seen this awful tower block fire near my home in W London. My prayers with those affected & heroes tackling it pic.twitter.com/MFi1DAnCSK |
| 4.54am BST | 4.54am BST |
| 04:54 | 04:54 |
| According to Get West London, the Grenfell Tower block had recently undergone a major £10 million refurbishment. Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of the Kensington and Chelsea Council, and Rock Feilding-Mellen, the deputy, visited the tower upon completion of the renovation in May last year. | According to Get West London, the Grenfell Tower block had recently undergone a major £10 million refurbishment. Nick Paget-Brown, the leader of the Kensington and Chelsea Council, and Rock Feilding-Mellen, the deputy, visited the tower upon completion of the renovation in May last year. |
| The upgrade – which included the installation of insulated exterior cladding, new double-glazed windows, and a new communal heating system – was funded by the council as part of a multi-million-dollar regeneration of the area. | The upgrade – which included the installation of insulated exterior cladding, new double-glazed windows, and a new communal heating system – was funded by the council as part of a multi-million-dollar regeneration of the area. |
| According to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s website, the tower block was built in 1974 and contained 120 homes, managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the council. Among the tenants were Grenfell Under 3s Nursery and Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club. | According to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s website, the tower block was built in 1974 and contained 120 homes, managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the council. Among the tenants were Grenfell Under 3s Nursery and Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club. |
| The refurbishment also created “nine much-needed new homes have been created from unused spaces”. | The refurbishment also created “nine much-needed new homes have been created from unused spaces”. |
| 4.46am BST | 4.46am BST |
| 04:46 | 04:46 |
| People remain trapped inside Grenfell Tower | People remain trapped inside Grenfell Tower |
| Alice Ross has just filed this devastating account from the scene: | Alice Ross has just filed this devastating account from the scene: |
| People can be seen at the windows, including one man waving a blanket from the window. People from neighbouring estates are huddled outside in their pyjamas near the flaming building, some shouting “put your head out the window” or calling the man with the blanket to shout his flat numbers so they can guide the fire services to him. Fire officers are spraying his window with water to try and douse the flames. | People can be seen at the windows, including one man waving a blanket from the window. People from neighbouring estates are huddled outside in their pyjamas near the flaming building, some shouting “put your head out the window” or calling the man with the blanket to shout his flat numbers so they can guide the fire services to him. Fire officers are spraying his window with water to try and douse the flames. |
| There’s a smell of acrid smoke and flaming debris is spiralling from the building. There’s the sound of breaking glass and dull pops. | There’s a smell of acrid smoke and flaming debris is spiralling from the building. There’s the sound of breaking glass and dull pops. |
| “There was a woman with a child. I saw her waving maybe 30mins ago,” said a man who asked not to be named. “She said I’ve got a child ... I saw them spraying her window.” | “There was a woman with a child. I saw her waving maybe 30mins ago,” said a man who asked not to be named. “She said I’ve got a child ... I saw them spraying her window.” |
| Hadil Alamily said in the past hour she saw “someone jump on fire from the top floor”. She had seen him flashing a light in an SOS pattern. | Hadil Alamily said in the past hour she saw “someone jump on fire from the top floor”. She had seen him flashing a light in an SOS pattern. |
| “He was screaming help, help, help but no one helped. He dashed a mattress out of the window. He was literally on fire and jumped.” | “He was screaming help, help, help but no one helped. He dashed a mattress out of the window. He was literally on fire and jumped.” |
| Neighbours shouting to a man still visible in a window at Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/oUh7HgD08i | Neighbours shouting to a man still visible in a window at Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/oUh7HgD08i |
| This footage was tweeted in the last 15 minutes. | This footage was tweeted in the last 15 minutes. |
| Fire has now totally consumed #GrenfellTower. @LondonFire doing absolutely heroic work in very tough circumstances. pic.twitter.com/TeL2MJeHH0 | Fire has now totally consumed #GrenfellTower. @LondonFire doing absolutely heroic work in very tough circumstances. pic.twitter.com/TeL2MJeHH0 |
| This is really shocking. Eyewitnesses say some people were trapped. @abcnews pic.twitter.com/LrzVBeNVPf | This is really shocking. Eyewitnesses say some people were trapped. @abcnews pic.twitter.com/LrzVBeNVPf |
| 4.41am BST | 4.41am BST |
| 04:41 | 04:41 |
| This from Alice Ross, my colleague in London: “I can see a man in the window.” | This from Alice Ross, my colleague in London: “I can see a man in the window.” |
| Neighbours say they've recently been able to see and hear people screaming for help from Grenfell Tower. I can see a man in a window pic.twitter.com/6MekZlpLdG | Neighbours say they've recently been able to see and hear people screaming for help from Grenfell Tower. I can see a man in a window pic.twitter.com/6MekZlpLdG |
| Sky News is reporting that police have told onlookers who may know people inside the building to cover their mouths with a wet cloth and get out of the building as soon as they can, by any means possible. | Sky News is reporting that police have told onlookers who may know people inside the building to cover their mouths with a wet cloth and get out of the building as soon as they can, by any means possible. |
| This has been confirmed by another reporter. | This has been confirmed by another reporter. |
| Police on ground telling families trapped #LatimerRoad #Grenfell to cover faces w/ wet towels & try to get out. Don't wait for fire brigade | Police on ground telling families trapped #LatimerRoad #Grenfell to cover faces w/ wet towels & try to get out. Don't wait for fire brigade |
| There is still no detail from authorities on the human impact of the blaze – even whether people are trapped – with the latest still that word from Metropolitan Police: “a number of people have been treated for a range of injuries”. | There is still no detail from authorities on the human impact of the blaze – even whether people are trapped – with the latest still that word from Metropolitan Police: “a number of people have been treated for a range of injuries”. |
| 4.33am BST | 4.33am BST |
| 04:33 | 04:33 |
| What we know so far | What we know so far |
| A huge fire has engulfed a tower block in West London. | A huge fire has engulfed a tower block in West London. |
| The fire broke out shortly before 1am on Wednesday at Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road near Notting Hill. | The fire broke out shortly before 1am on Wednesday at Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road near Notting Hill. |
| The tower is at least 24 storeys high and contains 120 apartments. | The tower is at least 24 storeys high and contains 120 apartments. |
| 200 firefighters have been tackling the blaze with 40 engines. | 200 firefighters have been tackling the blaze with 40 engines. |
| A number of people have been treated for a range of injuries according to the fire brigade | A number of people have been treated for a range of injuries according to the fire brigade |
| There have been multiple reports of people trapped in the blaze. These have not been confirmed by police or the fire brigade. | There have been multiple reports of people trapped in the blaze. These have not been confirmed by police or the fire brigade. |
| Streets around the tower have been sealed off and residents in ther houses evacuated. | Streets around the tower have been sealed off and residents in ther houses evacuated. |
| London Fire Brigade say there is no known cause at the moment for the blaze. | London Fire Brigade say there is no known cause at the moment for the blaze. |
| The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a “major incident”. | The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared the fire a “major incident”. |
| This news story will be updated with developments, in addition to this rolling coverage. | This news story will be updated with developments, in addition to this rolling coverage. |