Seven in hospital after flats blaze

Seven people have been taken to hospital following a fire at a high rise block of flats in South London.

Emergency services were called to Salamanca Place, in Lambeth, at 2.53am after the blaze broke out on the fourth floor of the 17-storey towerblock, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesman said.

More than 100 residents were evacuated while fire officers rescued nine people from the building externally using ladders.

A further 10 residents were led to safety from inside the burning building by officers using breathing apparatus.

At the height of the incident around 75 firefighters were on the scene tackling the blaze, which took more than two hours to extinguish.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and LFB investigators have launched a probe.

London Ambulance said 10 patients were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

Seven of those were taken to St Thomas' and Kings College hospital's for treatment, added the ambulance spokeswoman.