People evacuated from high rise flats following severe fire in Coventry
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People were evacuated from a high rise block of flats following a severe fire in Coventry yesterday evening (16 April).
West Midlands Fire Service says the fire was on the 15th floor of the 16 storey Nauls Mill House building.
Emergency services were called to Middleborough Road in the Coundon area of the city just before 9pm.
Around 75 firefighters attended and 15 pumps were used.
Seventeen response vehicles were sent to the scene, including 13 fire engines. A hydraulic aerial platform was also used.
Fire crews were called in the assist from several fire stations in Coventry, Solihull and Birmingham. West Midlands Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service and the local authority also attended.
The fire service has told ITV News Central that some people were treated for smoke inhalation.
Five adults, a child and an infant were asked to wear fire escape hoods before being led to safety by firefighters in breathing apparatus. A further five people also self-evacuated the building.
The fire service updated people on social media just before 1am to confirm the blaze had been put out and West Midlands Ambulance Service says nobody was seriously hurt.
One woman said she was trying to leave the 7th floor of the building with two small children but she was struggling due to the lifts not working and the stairs being soaked with water.
She says she eventually made it out after braving the stairs whilst pushing a pram.
She said she "wanted to come down" and was screaming for help as the flats had been plunged into darkness with the emergency lights seemingly not working.
"I slept here last night, but there is no electricity this morning so I am going to stay with a friend," she said, speaking of her experience.
Another resident described the building as 'pitch black'.
She said there was no water at the building all morning as Citizen Housing try to arrange temporary accommodation for people living there.
Another resident, who lives on the 10th floor of Nauls Mill House, said: "I was watching the TV and I heard shouting and I thought there was a fight out here. Normally on a Saturday night you would think there was a fight or something. I didn't think nothing of it, I looked out and saw nothing.
"It was not until I heard the word 'fire' I thought 'did I hear that right?'. And then I looked up and I seen it.
He says residents were left feeling frustrated by the ordeal.
"There were kids down here in cars that could not get into the building, there were no blankets for them" he said.
"It is the kids, I don't care about myself. It was the kids that were left in cars, the kids that were left stood in the car park and people were still there at 2am when I left", he adds.
Investigations are now ongoing to establish the cause of the fire.