Grenfell on fire : Several killed in London

Several people have died and more than 50 are in hospital after a huge fire raged through the night at a west London tower block, a fire chief says. – 15minutes ago

Eyewitnesses described people trapped in the burning Grenfell Tower, in north Kensington, screaming for help and yelling for their children to be saved.

Firefighters rescued “large numbers”, but London Mayor Sadiq Khan said “a lot” of people were unaccounted for.

The 24-storey block, which is still on fire, looks at risk of collapsing.

During the night, eyewitnesses said they saw lights – thought to be mobile phones or torches – flashing at the top of the block of flats, and trapped residents coming to their windows – some holding children.

The cause was not yet known, she said, and it was too early to speculate on the building, although it was structurally safe enough for her crews to be working inside.

By mid-morning, the building looked to be just smoking ruins but the fire has again taken hold, and cladding is falling to the ground.

Pictures from the incident site.