Everything you need to know about the London tower fire

London: A number of people have been killed in a massive fire in the 24-storey apartment block, London Fire Brigade chief Dany Cotton told reporters at the scene. 

Shaken survivors of the blaze that ravaged a West London tower block on Wednesday has caused people to become trapped or to jump to their doom as flames raced towards the building's upper floors and smoke filled the corridors.

Flames ravaged the tower, lighting up the pre-dawn west London skyline and sending up a thick plume of black smoke.

It is estimated that the fire started at around 1am or possibly, just before.

Police said in a statement they were called at 1.15am (4.16am UAE) "to reports of a large fire at a block of flats in the Lancaster West Estate".

The fire brigade said 40 fire engines and 200 firefighters had been called to the blaze in Grenfell Tower, which has 120 flats. The ambulance service said it had sent more than 20 ambulance crews to the scene.

Firefighters at the scene said they had managed to evacuate residents up to the 11th floor. Police were also clearing out nearby buildings because of fears about falling debris.

More than 200 firefighters were called to the block on the Lancaster West Estate, in north Kensington, at about 1.15am.

Large pieces of debris could be seen falling from Grenfell Tower, a 1970s block in the working-class north Kensington area - a short distance from Notting Hill.

Hanan Wahabi, 39, who lives on the ninth floor of Grenfell Tower, said she was awoken around 1am (0000 GMT) by smoke.

"I could see there was ash coming through the window in the living room, which was partially open," she said, sitting with her husband and son, 16, and daughter, eight, outside a local community centre.

"I looked out and I could see the fire travelling up the block. It was literally by my window," she said. "I slammed the window shut and got out."

After the family escaped, she called her brother, who lives on the 21st floor, to see if he was all right. "The fire hadn't reached the top of the block at that point," Wahabi said.

"He said he had been told to stay inside, stay in one room together and put towels under the door. I told him to leave. He said he was going to come. Then I called him and he said there was too much smoke."

She added: "The last time I saw him they were waving out the window, his wife and children. The last time I spoke to his wife, he was on the phone to the fire brigade. I've not heard from them since, the phone is not going through, the landline isn't going through. That was about 2:00am."

The London Fire Brigade have posted some images that show the scale of the blaze in Grenfell Tower.

It said the fire started from the second to top floor of the 27-storey building.

Some residents were reported to have used bed sheets to make their escape from the building.

Firefighters gained access to the block, which houses hundreds of residents. Those inside were asked to shine torches or their mobile phones to help the rescue services.

The Metropolitan Police have updated the situation on Twitter.

Falling debris also caused nearby flats to be evacuated.

The Metropolitan police have an emergency number for anyone concerned for loved ones. The Casualty Bureau number is 0800 0961 233

Fatalities in tower block

There have been a number of fatalities. These cannot and have not been confirmed yet.

How many are hospitalised?

Rescue services, giving an early toll, said 30 people had been hospitalised, but this number is growing and we are currently unsure of this.

Are people still trapped in the building?

We still do not know whether all the people in the building have been avacuated yet.

What caused the fire?

The reason for the start of the fire is still unknown. The police are currently investigating.