Tower block fire sees 20 evacuated as firefighters use drones to tackle blaze

A dramatic rescue operation was underway late on Monday evening at a London tower block after a fire in a flat saw 20 people evacuated.

A total of 70 members of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) attended the blaze with 10 fire engines at New Village Avenue in Tower Hamlets after dozens of calls from worried members of the public.

The emergency response came after a five-roomed flat on the eighth floor of the building set on fire, with 999 control officers first being alerted at 10:33pm.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus were seen a rescuing a woman who was treated on scene by members of the London Ambulance Service, reports MyLondon.

Four people were rescued through an internal staircase and an additional 20 people were evacuated from the building, with firefighters using drones to assess the situation.

One person was also taken to hospital.

Station Commander Matt Williams, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters evacuated 20 people from the building and rescued four people via an internal staircase.

“One of the Brigade’s new 32-metre ladders from Old Kent Road Fire Station was used as a water tower and crews also used drones to provide an aerial view of the incident and increase situational awareness.

“Abbott Road is closed at the A13 junction down to the junction by Blair Street. Firefighters are expected to remain on scene throughout the night and we urge people to avoid the area whilst crews continue to work to make the scene safe.”

A statement from the service also said that the fire was “under control” by 11:48pm.

Tower Hamlets Police also said they attended the scene of the fire to assist other emergency services, tweeting from their official account: “Officers from Central East BCU are on scene assisting colleagues from the LFB & LAS in response to this incident.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.