Twelve people have died in a west London tower block fire and the number of deaths are expected to rise, police have said. Firefighters rescued 65 people from Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, after they were called at 00:54 BST. Eyewitnesses said people were trapped in tower block, screaming for help and yelling for their children to be saved. Policing and fire minister Nick Hurd said checks are now planned on similar tower blocks.
The ambulance service said 68 patients had been taken to six hospitals across London, with 18 in critical care. A further 10 patients made their own way to hospital. During the night, eyewitnesses said they saw lights - thought to be mobile phones or torches - flashing at the top of the block of flats, and trapped residents coming to their windows - some holding children. It is understood that "several hundred" people would have been in the block when the fire broke out shortly after midnight, most of them sleeping.
An emergency number - 0800 0961 233 - has been set up for anyone concerned about friends or family.
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