Dozens are feared dead today after an inferno believed to have started when a fridge exploded ripped through a 27-storey west London tower block in just 15 minutes.

Residents were seen throwing themselves and their children out of windows to avoid being burned to death - others made ropes by tying sheets together as fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in White City at 1am today.

But a baby tossed from the 'ninth or 10th floor' of the building housing 600 people was caught by a member of the public and survived with only broken bones and bruises, a witness has said.


The trapped, some of whom are still inside, were heard begging for their lives screamed 'help me' while waving white towels, torches and mobile phones to attract the attention of the 200 firefighters who started storming the building within six minutes of the 999 call.

Those who managed to flee said it was 'like hell on earth' inside and compared the disaster to the 9/11 attack - and also revealed there was no working fire alarm, sprinklers failed and the only staircase out was blocked.

The building's new cladding completed during a recent £10million refurbishment 'went up like a match' and sped up the blaze, another said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also demanded to know why Grenfell residents were told to 'stay put' in their flats for up to an hour in the event of a fire and will investigate claims that residents repeatedly warned that many people would die in the event of a major fire.

Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, said there had been 'a number of fatalities' while the London Ambulance Service said 50 people are in hospital and paramedics are treating many more walking wounded for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

Desperate survivors being cared for in several west London rescue shelters have seen sobbing as family and loved-ones, including dozens of children, remain unaccounted for.













http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40269625

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2017/jun/14/grenfell-tower-major-fire-london-apartment-block-white-city-latimer-road

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4601902/Huge-inferno-West-London-tower-block.html

Some residents are still stuck inside the block on the 11th floor, with firefighters still desperately trying to reach them.

Holy sheet! People throwing themselves out of windows and high-rise floors to survive. The human instinct to survive is a very strong one: jumping to an uncertain fate to escape a certain fate.


Respect to the crowd that caught the baby. That was touching.


And sorry to add this, but I call it as I see it. If this were to be Nigeria, in all likelihood those people would have perished beyond redemption.

The fire service responded within SIX minutes, but could not fully contain the conflagration. Our own go tell you say water no dey, or na after house don burn finish you go come dey hear wi-wo-wi-wo. Speaking from personal experience.


On a last note, for those that think that all is green on the other side (the Western Hemisphere), how can you explain away a 20+ storey building having no fire alarm or water sprinklers, or emergency fire exits for that matter?

Many residents who gathered outside the smoldering ruins of the building said the fire had been caused by a faulty fridge in one of the flats.

Soon bad, hope they get saved

Chai...

Where is superman,batman, Thor, wonderwoman, Green latern when you need them

btw what happened to the fire alarm and all those fire safety equipment dem dey show for film wey dey get for house? all nah propaganda ba?






This space is dedicated to my NL crush Evablizin

The heat was said to be so intense that firefighters (shown) were unable to get close to the building, which was built in 1974.

Yikes!! see how a building is burning like a log of wood... I pray many will be saved.

One witness said he saw several people jumping to their deaths from all floors to escape the fire.

A survivor broke down on live TV as he said his neighbour on the fourth floor had confessed that his 'fridge had exploded' before fire swamped the building, but the fire service told MailOnline it is too early to confirm the cause






TIMELINE OF THE GRENFALL TOWER FIRE




12.30am: Residents report smelling burning plastic at this time


12.54am: London Fire Brigade receive the first call


1am: First fire engines arrive at the scene in Grenfell Tower


1.16am: Police are called to attend the fire


3am: Some residents remain trapped inside with torches still being shone from windows the sign the emergency services asked trapped residents to give


8am: Fire brigade admit there have been some fatalities


8.30am: First indication that the fire was started by a faulty fridge


9.30am: Structural engineers attend the site and state it is currently considered safe


10.35am: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan gives a press conference promising to 'ask questions' about what happened in the fire.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said questions will need to be answered over the safety of tower blocks in the capital as a result of the fire.

London Ambulance Service said 50 people have been rushed to five hospitals around the capital, while some residents are still stuck inside the block on the 11th floor, with firefighters desperately trying to reach them.

Those in the upper floors were seen flashing torches in a bid to call for help, tying bedding together to create makeshift ropes.

Panicked residents trapped high in the enormous tower were heard screaming for help as they leaned out of their windows and tied bed sheets together in an attempt to reach the ground.

Many of those evacuated said they were woken by screams, intense heat and the smell of burning plastic, thought to be white cladding that was installed on the building last year as part of a £10million refurbishment.

One woman said that residents faced 'either jumping out the window with their children and risk breaking bones or staying where you were and dying'.

The fire is said to have spread from the second floor to the roof of the enormous 120-flat block in just 15 minutes, with 200 firefighters struggling to bring it under control.

Eyewitness Tamara told BBC News: 'You could hear people screaming 'help me, help me'.

'There were people throwing their kids out [of windows], they were shouting 'save my children'.

The fire brigade were telling people to stay where they were, they were telling people 'we'll come and get you'.'
Hanan Wahabi, 39, who lives on the ninth floor, said she was awoken at about 1am by smoke.

'I could see there was ash coming through the window in the living room, which was partially open,' she said, sitting with her husband and son, 16, and daughter, eight, outside a local community centre.

'I looked out and I could see the fire travelling up the block.

It was literally by my window,' she said. 'I slammed the window shut and got out.'

After the family escaped, she called her brother, who lives on the 21st floor, to see if he was all right.






A woman with six children who was attempting to escape from the 21st floor of the London tower block fire this morning got to the bottom to discover two of them were missing, it has been claimed.

A resident in another tower block looks on as thick plumes of smoke fill the air in west London following the devastating fire.

Firefighters tackling a huge inferno at a residential tower block in West London fear the 27-storey building could collapse.

This is so sad

The fire is said to have spread from the second floor to the roof of the enormous 120-flat block in just 15 minutes, with 200 firefighters struggling to bring it under control.

seun lalasticlala mynd44 dominique this is FP worthy.

Residents who managed to escape sit on the pavement as they await news of what is going on.

One panicked resident wrote on Twitter.

Debris falling.



A brace firefighter is pictured inside the burnt remains of the 27-storey building, as efforts are made to investigate what caused the blaze.

A particular mod has lost his glasses...



https://www.nairaland.com/3859942/huge-fire-breaks-out-24-storey

Why UK Why

Believe me if such event happened in an African country, hell would be let loose.

My Lord Oh no

God help them

WATCH THE VIDEO




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JasV9yJZeHo

Chai

What?

Lord have mercy

heyahhhhhhhhhhhh

Such scenario can happen any time, where, etc.

On behalf of me, my family and friends plus Nairaland members will wouldn't experience such now till thy kingdom come.

Amen Amen Amennnnnnnn

I suspect those people from Mid East at it again.....

UK has to introduce travel ban same like US ...too much to bear

This is scary

Choi..... Hope say my client dm nor dey among ooo

England again?
Bet why