Mile End fire: More than 50 firefighters tackle 12th floor blaze in east London tower block

Smoke billows from high-rise in capital as more than 40 residents are evacuated

More than 50 firefighters tackled a blaze at a residential tower block in east London.

Emergency services were called to the fire in Grafton House, in Mile End, at around 12.30pm on Friday.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said half of a flat on the 12th storey of the tower had caught alight, while flames had also spread to a small section of the 13th floor.

Around 44 people left the building before emergency crews arrived on scene, while a further two were led to safety by firefighters.

LFB said there had been no reported injuries during the incident.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said three people were assessed at the scene, but no one was taken to hospital.

The fire sent a large plume of smoke billowing into the air, which was visible across the capital.

Authorities said the brigade's 999 control room received more than 90 emergency calls from members of the public in relation to the incident.

LFB announced the blaze had been extinguished by 1.50pm.

Jamila Noor who lives in the tower block next door with her husband and three children, said she would not stay put in her flat if a fire broke out in her building if she felt she could get out.

“We see one fire we just get shocked, because we think that our house might go up as well,” she said.

“That's how it is when you live in tower blocks. One is affected, everything is affected.”

East End Homes, the housing association responsible for the block, said there were no injuries and all residents had been safely evacuated.

“Everybody is safe, some residents have gone to a nearby community centre where they are getting support and refreshments,” a spokesman said.

The organisation declined to say whether any residents would need to be rehomed as a result of the fire.

Elected Tower Hamlets mayor, John Biggs, said the council was in “regular contact” with the housing association and was offering “support and assistance.

“Very grateful to the emergency services for their response,” he added on Twitter.

Most of a three-roomed flat on the 12th floor was damaged by the fire and part of the balcony of the 13th floor was also damaged.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Additional reporting by PA