Dozens missing, six dead in London fire

London, Wednesday

At least six people were killed when a massive fire tore through a London apartment block in the middle of the night, with witnesses reporting terrified people had leapt from the 24-storey tower.

Parents wrapped wet towels around their children as they desperately tried to escape from the Grenfell Tower, with at least one person seen waving a piece of white cloth from an upper floor as flames ravaged the building.

“I can confirm six fatalities at this time but this figure is likely to rise during what will be a complex recovery operation over a number of days,” said police commander Stuart Cundy, describing the fire as “truly shocking”.

The ambulance service said 50 people had been hospitalised. The alarm was raised just before 1am and within an hour flames had engulfed the entire block. Residents claimed the fire was spreading on the exterior of the tower, which had been covered in cladding in a major refurbishment completed last year. More than 10 hours on, flames could still be seen inside the charred building as thick, black smoke filled the sky.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said firefighters were only able to reach the 12th floor at the height of the blaze. Prime Minister Theresa May is “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life”, said Downing Street.

Later, police and fire minister Nick Hurd will chair a cross-party meeting to look at how the government can assist the emergency services and local authorities. -AFP/BBC

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