The London fire chief has confirmed there have been a ‘number of fatalities’ in the Grenfell Tower fire.
In a statement the London fire commissioner Dany Cotton claimed there have been fatalities but that she couldn’t say how many people may have died due to the complexity of the building.
Ms Cotton could not confirm what had started the blaze and added that authorities are still working to get the fire under control.
She said:
I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities. I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building. It would clearly be wrong for me to speculate further.
Equally the cause of this fire is not known at this stage.
We are working very closely with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police and the London Ambulance Service to bring this situation under control.
Emergency services were dispatched to Grenfell Tower in Shepherd’s Bush at 12.54 this morning and the first fire engines were on the scene in under six minutes.
Over 200 firefighters and officers attended the fire with 40 fire engines and a range of specialist vehicles being dispatched to get the fire under control.
London Ambulance Service have confirmed that 30 people have been taken to five hospitals across the capital.
Nick Paget-Brown, of Kensington and Chelsea council, said there would need to be an ‘investigation into the cause of the fire and why it spread so rapidly’.
Police have set up an emergency number for people concerned for friends and families on 0800 0961 233.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.