Twelve people have died in a west London tower block fire and the number of deaths is expected to rise, police have said. Firefighters rescued 65 people from Grenfell Tower in north Kensington, after they were called at 00:54 BST. Witnesses said people were trapped in the tower block, and that some jumped from windows in an effort to escape. Theresa May said there would be a full investigation and "if there are any lessons to be learned they will be". It is understood that "several hundred" people would have been in the block when the fire broke out, most of them sleeping.

The tower had around 120 flats. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The ambulance service said 68 patients were taken to six hospitals across London, with 18 in critical care. A further 10 patients made their own way to hospital. But many more people are unaccounted for, and loved ones have appealed on social media for information. Among them is 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 66-year-old retired lorry driver Tony Disson, and security guard Mo Tuccu, a British national from Eritrea.

Eyewitnesses said they saw lights - thought to be mobile phones or torches - flashing at the top of the block of flats. Trapped residents came to their windows - some holding children. One witness said a baby was caught by a member of the public after being dropped from the tower block.

Courtesy:BBC