Fifty people rescued after fire in a tower block

Firefighters have rescued 50 people from a burning tower block in west London after a fire in a fourth-floor flat.

Around 60 firefighters and eight fire crews went to Adair Tower in North Kensington this morning after the fire broke out in a two-room apartment.

Fire crews arrived at the 14-storey block of flats in Appleford Road just after 9am.

London Fire Brigade said the fire is now under control. The brigade's operations centre said it had taken nine calls from residents during the incident, including from a woman who couldn't more from her bedroom. They got her to describe the layout of the flat so fire crews knew exactly where to find her.

Firefighters rescued two people from two balconies via a ladder and led the rest to safety through the building.

Station Manager Jim Smith who was at the scene said: “A flat on the fourth floors was completely alight and smoke was pouring from a window. Control officers did a brilliant job keeping residents calm and ensuring those who were trapped or couldn’t move were in the safest place while firefighters reached them. Crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control and rescue 50 people."

London Fire Brigade said sixteen people were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service as a precaution.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.