Firefighters tackle blaze at block of flats in south-east London

Firefighters are tackling a blaze at a block of flats in south-east London.

Plumes of smoke were pictured online rising from the tower block in Deptford on Wednesday evening.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) tweeted: “Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters have been called to a fire at a block of flats on Childers Street.”

The fire broke out in a sixth-floor flat and part of the roof of the building is alight.

Firefighters were alerted at 7.26pm and 34 calls were made to the control room about the fire.

Local resident Agnes Agyepong said: “I turned the corner towards Childers Street and saw residents and bystanders standing out on the street.

“When I looked up I saw the top of the block of flats engulfed in flames.

“Thick black smoke was coming out as well.

“Children were witnessing this.

“Ashes were blowing in the street.”

Ms Agyepong said: “The mood was very sombre… people could not believe that they are on lockdown, and now this has happened on top of everything else.”

The LFB later brought in reinforcements taking the number of engines at the scene to 12.

Fire crews from the south London districts of Deptford, New Cross, Greenwich, Old Kent Road, Lewisham and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.

A LFB spokesman said: “The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”

A London Ambulance Service spokesman, who said they were called at 8.33pm, added: “We sent an incident response officer and an ambulance crew to the scene. We also dispatched our hazardous area response team.”