Police have confirmed at least 12 people died and a further 70 injured in an “unprecedented” fire at a 120-apartment tower block in Notting Hill, West London.
More than 250 firefighters were called to the 27-storey high Grenfell Tower on Wednesday at 1am local time, but the fire quickly spread to consume the whole building from the second-floor upwards — forcing many to jump to escape the flames.
While fire chiefs said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the inferno, a survivor told a live news program that his neighbour’s “fridge had exploded” shortly before fire engulfed the building.
Commander Stuart Cundy of the Metropolitan Police said the number of fatalities is expected to rise significantly, with claims the true number could sit at more than 50.
“Sadly I can confirm there are now 12 people that have died that we know of,” Mr Cundy told reporters in the early evening. “This is going to be a long and complex recovery operation and I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase beyond those 12.”
He added: “I don’t anticipate there will be further survivors.”
More than 200 people live in the building, but authorities are unsure how many were in the building at the time of the fire.
The London Fire Brigade said it had rescued 65 people from the building and had now reached all 24 floors, however “small pockets of fire” continue to prevent a detailed secondary search.
WATCH: Witnesses have described the moment the building went up “like a match to a flame.” Post continues…
Since the fire erupted, a number of eye-witness accounts have placed people trapped inside the building.
A neighbour named Tamara told the BBC: “There were people just throwing their kids out saying, ‘Save my children.’ Within another 15 minutes the whole thing was up in flames and there were still people at their windows shouting ‘Help me.’ You could see the fire going into their houses and engulfing the last room that they were in.”
Another witness described the moment a baby was thrown from a window on the “ninth or tenth” floor to a man on the ground.
“A woman appeared at the window gesturing and trying to get someone’s attention,” Samira Lamrani told NBC News. “She had the baby in hand — she was gesturing like she was going to throw the baby out.”
She added: “She wrapped the child up in some sort of thick blanket, and then just dropped the baby out of the window… the baby just sort of dropped in a straight line, and a guy just ran forward and the baby fell into his arms.”
Twelve have been confirmed dead in the “unprecedented” fire, with the death toll expected to rise significantly.
Candles have been lit near the 24-storey residential tower in memory of those who’ve lost their lives.
In a separate television interview, the same witness described seeing people “banging and screaming for help.”
“Us members of the public were reassuring them, telling them we’ve done what we can and that we’ve phoned 999, but obviously the look on their face was death,” she said. “The more I looked up, floor upon floor. Endless numbers of people. Mainly the kids, because obviously their voices, with their high pitched voices – that will remain with me for a long time.
“I could hear them screaming for their lives.”
Michael Paramasivan, a resident of the tower block, told of a woman’s despair as two of her children remain missing from the deadly fire. She reportedly left her apartment with six children, but reached the ground floor with only four.
He told BBC Radio 4: “It was horrendous. There was one woman who had escaped her flat on the 21st floor with her six children, but when she got down to the bottom of the stairs, she only had four of them with her.”
“She can’t find two of her children anywhere. She’s in a community centre absolutely breaking her heart.”
The building was described as having gone “up like a nightdress by a fire.”
Despite more than 250 firefights attending the scene, the building has been entirely gutted.
In January and November last year, the building’s action group complained about fire hazards in and around the building as well as their landlord’s “ineptitude”.
“It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the KCTMO, and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants and leaseholders,” they wrote on November 20, 2016.
It has now emerged that the building may have been fitted with flammable cladding during a recent renovation.
According to planning documents, the cladding was chosen in part so that the building would appear as more aesthetically pleasing when seen from the conservation areas and luxury apartments that surround north Kensington.
Mark, a witness to the fire, said he believed the cladding played a role in the fire’s intensity.
“It was burning like paper, it wasn’t the building, it wasn’t the structure. That cladding – it was just like throwing fuel on the fire.” he said.
Londoners have thrown open their doors to offer support to those affected by the horrific blaze.
Many have donated clothes and shoes for those who escaped the blaze in only their pyjamas.
In a heartwarming display of solidarity, Londoners have taken to social media to offer whatever assistance they can to displaced strangers in their time of need.
Many have offered shelter, food and support to those affected, while others have brought clothes and shoes for those who escaped the blaze in only their pyjamas.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver posted a photo of the burnt-out tower block on his Instagram, writing in the caption: “To any of the 100’s of families effected by this terrible fire at Grenfell Tower Notting hill today, you are all welcome to come hang out in my restaurant and be fed and watered by my Jamies Italian team.”
“We are in the Westfield just around the corner.”
“Food and drink free of charge so just go and speak to my manager Juan and we will sort you out and give you some love.”
He added: “This is for victims of the fire our thoughts, love and prayers are with you all big love Jamie x x x x.”
Other celebrities such as Lily Allen and Rita Ora have also expressed their desire to help where they can.
As the sun rose, a scene of devastation emerged with debris still falling hours after the fire took hold.
A heartbreaking note which appears to have been written by a child has been pulled from the rubble surrounding the blacked building.
Hauntingly, the handwritten note details the writers ambitions for the future.
It read: “I cannot describe my feeling. I am very, very happy, I have a lot of ideas and plans. I have lots of dreams I want to achieve.”
More as we get it.
A heartbreaking note which appeared to be written by a child was discovered amidst the rubble.
