North Woolwich: Residents tell of panic as fire tore through high-rise flat in east London

Five people were rushed to hospital after a fire ripped through the tenth floor of a block of flats in east London.

Shocking footage shows bright orange flames coming out of the home, which is roughly halfway up the tower block in North Woolwich.

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called shortly after 10.30pm on Thursday to the flat fire on Rymill Street.

Most of a three-roomed flat on the tenth floor was damaged by the fire and firefighters led four people to safety.

Five people were taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service and around 100 residents were taken to a local rest centre.

Some residents had remained in their flats as the fire burned but they were unaffected by the blaze.

Fitor Dauti, 48, had just put his children to bed when he heard sirens outside his home on Rymill Street. He watched from his window as the flames burned through the flat roughly 70 metres away.

He told the Standard: “I could see the flames. We had to close all the windows and doors.

“There were people coming out of the building for around 10 minutes. I was scared and panicked. There were people everywhere, even in my front garden.”

A resident inside the tower block, who lives metres away from where the fire broke out, described the terrifying moment she saw flashing lights outside her flat and had to wake up her mother to evacuate.

Gabby, who did not give her surname, told the Standard: “I didn’t know what was happening at first. It was scary. I got my family up and we got our things and left. The fire brigade was knocking on people’s doors.

She added: “We could see the flames coming out of the balcony and one of the bedrooms... there was so much smoke on that floor. It was a huge fire.”

Andrew Christy said he could smell smoke from his home around 600 metres away from the flames.

He said: “I went to the window and saw that one of the towers had a fire. It was windy and that seemed to be fanning the flames, which were visible outside the flat.

“But the large and fast LFB response meant that the flames quickly died down.”

Firefighters had the blaze under control by 11.50pm and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The brigade's 999 control officers took almost 30 calls to the blaze.

Fire crews from Plaistow, Barking, East Ham, Poplar and surrounding fire stations attended the scene after officers took almost 30 calls about the fire.

The London Fire Brigade said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Rymill Street in North Woolwich last night.

“Most of a three-roomed flat on the 10th floor was damaged by fire. Firefighters led four people to safety, whilst others remained in their unaffected flats.

“Five people were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. Around 100 residents were taken to a local rest centre.

“The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took almost 30 calls to the blaze.

“The Brigade was called at 2232 and the fire was under control by 2350. Fire crews from Plaistow, Barking, East Ham, Poplar and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

“The cause of the fire is under investigation.”