A fire that ripped through a West London apartment block has claimed the lives of 12 people and injured more than 70, and authorities warn the death toll will rise.
More than 200 fire fighters battled to control the blaze yesterday as flames engulfed the 24-story building, trapping dozens of families inside.
Eye-witness reports say residents could be heard screaming for help, reports the BBC.
One man broke down in tears as he told of seeing parents throw their children from the building in an effort to save them.
A resident of Grenfell Tower breaks down as he describes seeing people throw children to safety, and people jumping out of windows. pic.twitter.com/acsaRkj0aO
— Victoria Derbyshire (@VictoriaLIVE) June 14, 2017
The fire department has declared the apartment block safe for inspection to allow rescue crews to sift through the debris in the hopes of finding survivors.
The fire broke out just after 1am (London time) and quickly tore through the multi-level block.
A number of survivors say they are angry because safety warnings inside the building told them to close their doors and remain in their homes.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared the fire a major incident said questions will need to be answered over the safety of tower blocks across the city.
“Across London we have many, many tower blocks and what we can’t have is a situation where people’s safety is put at risk because of bad advice being given or if it is the case, as has been alleged, of tower blocks not being properly serviced or maintained,” he said.