At least six dead in London tower block fire
Six people were confirmed dead in a massive fire that engulfed a London tower block before dawn on Wednesday and the number is expected to rise, police said.
A massive fire ripped through a 27-storey apartment block in west London before dawn on Wednesday, killing several people and injuring dozens more after residents were left trapped inside.
London Fire Brigade chief Dany Cotton said there had been "a number of fatalities" and 30 people had been hospitalised after what she called an "unprecedented" blaze.
Eyewitnesses said they had seen some people fall or jump from the stricken building and at least one resident waving a piece of white cloth from one of the upper floors as flames ravaged the tower.
Seven hours after the alarm was raised, flames could still be seen inside the charred building as a thick plume of black smoke marred the west London skyline.
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Large pieces of debris could be seen falling from Grenfell Tower, a 1970s council block in the working-class north Kensington area -- a short distance from chic Notting Hill.
Witnesses said they heard screaming from the upper floors as the flames rose in the night.
"They were trapped. They couldn't come downstairs, especially from the top floor ... people have been burned," a witness identified as Daniel told BBC Radio London.
"I have seen it with my own eyes. And I have seen people jump."