Hundreds of firefighters battle huge blaze at block of flats on outskirts of London
HUNDREDS of firefighters battled through the night and into this morning after a huge blaze broke out at a block of flats.
Smoke poured from the building as helpless residents watched on
Residents were forced to flee their homes in the middle of the night carrying whatever possessions they could after thick smoke filled the corridors of the block in Leyton, east London.
They sheltered in a neighbouring building and watched on as emergency services desperately scrambled to save what they could of their homes.
Dozens of crews descended on the building as neighbours were warned to shut their windows and doors to avoid breathing in toxic fumes.
Firefighters were still on site this morning dousing down what remains of the structure, which was made up of a combination of offices and flats.
Hundreds of firefighters battled the blaze in Leyton overnight
Crews battled around the clock to save as much of the structure as they could
A spokesman for the London Fire Service said it is too early to know how the fire was started but that most of the building has been destroyed.
At the height of the blaze, which broke out at around 1am today, more than 100 firefighters were involved in the effort to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby buildings.
Station Manager Alan Lamb said: “The alarm was raised by a resident who returned home to smell smoke.
“Firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to any adjacent buildings and ensure train services on the adjacent railway line were able to keep running.”
Firefighters were still on site dousing down the building this morning