The stillness of London nighttime was woken up with news reports of fire engulfing the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington. The tower block is home to thousands of people or hundreds of families. Some reports say there are people still trapped in the building while the flames haven't been controlled yet.
Several cases of fire incidents were reported this year, but the London Grenfell Tower fire could easily be the most devastating this year. The huge fire is visible throughout the west London tower block. 200 firefighters were seen tackling the place while ambulances travel to and from the site to retrieve and rescue survivors.
Survivors are now being treated in nearby hospitals.
Eyewitnesses, as well as reporters on the site, said that the 24-storey block is on fire. If the flames continue to blaze, the building might collapse.
People Trapped and Missing in London Grenfell Tower Fire
Eyewitnesses say there are still people trapped inside the building. Unofficial reports also say that "a significant number of people" remain unaccounted for. This means, there could be a number of casualties waiting to be discovered once the firefighters manage to control the situation.
Reports say that there were lights seen from the building top floors perceived to be mobile phone signaling rescuers that there are still people in the building.
Despite that, some people who are thought to have been trapped were found safe outside the tower after escaping through their windows.
Around 20 ambulances were seen on the scene. They already saved 30 people by 6:15 BST today. Despite the initial count, there are no other details as to what injuries they suffered from and about the severity of their conditions.
The London Grenfell Tower block fire was declared as a major incident by Sadiq Khan, London Mayor. Evacuations were also initiated to prevent further injuries in the neighboring tower blocks. The fire escalated quickly due to its size. It can even be seen miles away from the location. Various news organizations worldwide are following the incident as it happens through social media sites.
BBC reporters are there to report the updates on the site.
"We've seen debris falling from the building, we've heard explosions, we've heard the sound of glass breaking," Andy Moore from BBC said.
Teamwork in Progress to Control London Fire
As times passes by, the police also tend to broaden their cordons pushing bystanders farther away from the burning building. Official say that there's the fear that the building might collapse due to the continued fire engulfing the London Grenfell Tower.
Even the fire department, responsible for dealing with the fire, says that it is extremely difficult to tackle the fire because of its size. Dan Daly, assistant commissioner from the London Fire Brigade say that numerous resources were already deployed to help control the situation.
To aid in rescue, the London Ambulance Service medics were also deployed on site. The group received exemplary training in life-saving medical care for incidents like this considered to be hazardous. There are no reports yet stating if the fire is linked to any terror acts in London.
