London records fresh fire outbreak

Less than two weeks after a fire outbreak led to the deaths of at least 79 people in London, the city has recorded yet another fire incident.

Residents of a block of flats in east London have been evacuated from the building where the fire broke out.

London Fire Brigade said flames had engulfed a third floor flat and then spread to the roof of a four-storey building.

A man has been reportedly taken to hospital to be treated for the effects of breathing in smoke at the four-storey building on Turin Street, Bethnal Green.

“As the fire spread the roof of the building was reduced to smouldering wood in about five minutes,” George Shankar, a witness said.

“There was smoke everywhere, pouring out of every single window in the block of flats, and you couldn’t see more than 50m down the road.”

According to BBC, Rushanara Ali, member of parliament (MP) for Bethnal Green and Bow, who was at the scene described residents as “anxious given what has happened in Grenfell Tower”.

But she said the scene was calm despite thick smoke being blown into the surrounding areas by high winds.

“I’ve been here for the last 45 minutes or so and they’re just trying to take control of the situation,” she said.

“It’s settling down and it seems like they’ve got a handle on it.

“People are very concerned – I’ve spent most of the day visiting residents around my constituency particularly where there are concerns about cladding.

“There is a real anxiety about whether their housing stock is secure which I know people will be feeling around the city and country.”

Bethnal Green Road has been closed as 78 firefighters tackle the blaze.