Six people, including a three-week-old baby, have been killed in a fire that ripped through a high-rise apartment building in London, emergency services said.
The London Fire Brigade said 30 people were rescued from the blaze and the dead included three adults and three children, one a three-week old baby and another aged seven.
The brigade said 18 fire engines and more than 100 firefighters were called to the blaze in the Camberwell area of south London at around 4.20pm local time.
The fire started on the fourth floor and spread quickly to seven floors of the 12-story building, part of a large 1960s public-housing project.
"It was shocking to see the quantities of smoke and flames," said Sarah Gresty, who lives nearby.
The brigade said 30 residents had been rescued from the building "in extremely difficult circumstances."
The London Ambulance Service said 16 people had been taken to local hospitals, most suffering from smoke inhalation.
Four hours after it began, the fire brigade said the blaze was under control and investigators were on the scene to determine its cause.
Front page
RSS Feed