Firefighters are battling a blaze that has broken out at an East London tower block covered in the same type of cladding that was used in the construction of Grenfell Tower.
20 fire engines and around 125 firefighters have arrived at the scene of the 19-storey New Providence Wharf development in Poplar, whose ACM cladding had yet to be removed despite concerns arising from the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017.
Social media footage showed parts of the eighth, ninth, and 10th floors on fire, with firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames from erected ladders.
The block contains 1,535 homes.
The London Fire Brigade said in a statement on Twitter: “Firefighters are tackling a fire at a 19-storey block of flats in #Poplar Parts of the 8th, 9th and 10th floors are alight. There are now 20 fire engines at the scene.”
Ambulance services say they have “treated a number of people”, though there have been no reports of serious harm.
Witnesses say the fire was burning for half an hour before the fire alarm sounded.
Ballymore, which built the tower block, had been “named and shamed” by the government in January for failing to remove the cladding.
Work to remove cladding from the block was due to begin this week.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Image: @LondonFire
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