London tower fire: Police cordon pushed back amid fears Notting Hill tower block could collapse

Firefighters were still battling the blaze on Wednesday morning
Alex Lentati

The police cordon surrounding a huge tower block fire in Notting Hill has been pushed back amid concerns the whole building could collapse.

An exclusion zone was set up overnight as flames raged through the 24-storey Grenfell Tower near Ladbroke Grove causing debris to crash down the side of the building.

As firefighters continued to battle the flames on Wednesday morning the cordon has reportedly been widened over concerns about the stability of the building, which contains 120 flats and is located in a densely populated area of west London.

A Met Police spokeswoman confirmed there were “significant cordons” in place and said they would release a further statement later.

Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures

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Forty fire engines with 200 officers were called at about 1am as flames engulfed the block from the second floor upwards “within seconds”.

Police and paramedics also raced to the scene to wake residents who had reportedly used bed sheets as makeshift ropes. Others are said to have jumped from their flats to escape the inferno as it tore through the building within minutes.

London Ambulance Service said 30 people had been taken to five hospitals following the fire, while a number of fatalities have been confirmed.

Actor and writer Tim Downie, who lives around 600 metres from the scene in Latimer Road, said earlier it was only a "matter of time" before the building collapses.

He said: "It's horrendous. The whole building is engulfed in flames. It's gone. It's just a matter of time before this building collapses.

"It's the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. I just hope they have got everyone out.

"The first I knew was the noise of sirens, helicopters and shouting. I saw it engulfed in flames.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage, London Fire Brigade said.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said a "major incident" had been declared.

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