London,  Reuters, Jun 14, 2017 – London police says atleast 12 people killed in London tower block fire which engulfed a 27-story block of flats in central London on Wednesday, London Fire Brigade said.

At least 30 people have been injured in the fire which engulfed all floors from the second to the top of the Grenfell Tower, where several hundred people lived.

“At this time I am very sad to confirm that there have been a number of fatalities, I cannot confirm the number at this time due to the size and complexity of this building,” Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade told reporters.

Massive flames licked up the sides of the block as 200 firefighters battled the blaze along with 40 fire engines. Flumes of black smoke billowed into the air hours after the blaze was sparked.

This handout image received by local resident Giulio Thuburn early on June 14, 2017 shows flames engulfing a 27-storey block of flats in west London. (AFP)

London Fire Brigade said the fire had engulfed all floors from the second to the top of the Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate in west London.

“We are dealing with a really serious fire that spread throughout the building,” a spokesman for the fire brigade said. “The crews are doing all that they possibly can to tackle this fire.”

The A40 road is seen closed as flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London, Britain June 14, 2017. (Reuters)

Some people were trapped in the fire, with residents desperately shouting for help from windows on upper floors as the fire spread, some British media reported.

Reuters could confirm those reports. A witness told Reuters that she feared not all the residents had escaped the fire. Some were evacuated in their pyjamas.

People look on as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London on June 14, 2017. (Reuters)

“A number of people are being treated for a range of injuries,” police said. “Residents continue to be evacuated from the tower block fire.”

More than 20 ambulance crews were at the scene. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said a “major incident” had been declared. The cause of the fire, which broke out just after 0000 GMT, is not known at this stage, the Fire Brigade said.

30 injured
Meanwhile, British ambulance service has said it has taken 30 patients to five hospitals following the fire