Footage filmed from nearby buildings, and shared on social media, showed the fire raging and starting to spread from a flat on the 17th floor of the building. The alarm was raised shortly after 4 pm, and over 125 fire personnel responded, with crews from Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Dowgate, Bethnal Green, Dockhead, Old Kent Road and Islington all in attendance.
The fire was brought under control by 7 pm after London Fire Brigade had mobilized a 64-meter turntable ladder - the tallest firefighting ladder in Europe - that allowed firefighters to get water onto the fire from outside the building.
Evacuated from the tower building
Two people were taken to hospital and others requiring attention at the scene, according to Ambulance Service
In all, around 70 people evacuated the tower building, including one woman who was trapped on the 17th floor. Station Commander - Chris Jenner, who was at the scene, said: "She was given fire survival advice by control officers until firefighters located her. Fire crews used a fire escape hood to help lead the woman to safety via the internal staircase.”
He went on to praise the “professionalism, hard work and quick actions of control officers and firefighters,” and his words were echoed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who in a tweet said, “I’d like to thank our brave London Fire and emergency services who arrived quickly at a block of flats and offices on Whitechapel High Street this afternoon and worked hard to get the fire under control. I'm relieved no serious injuries have been reported.”
Two people were taken to hospital, with two others requiring attention at the scene, according to the London Ambulance Service.
Fire investigation teams
Initial reports suggest damage to the block was limited, with the fire brigade saying a three-roomed flat on the 17th floor of the building was destroyed. In addition, part of another three-roomed flat on the 18th floor, and half of an external 19th-floor balcony was also damaged by the fire. Fire investigation teams are now working to establish the cause of the fire.
The block, known as the Relay Building, is a 22-storey, mixed-use development of 207 flats with commercial space, designed for Redrow London by architect Sigma Seifert and built by John Sisk & Son in 2014. Several residents reported hearing no fire alarm on their floors, with some only becoming aware of the situation through a residents’ group chat. The fire policy at the building has been reported as a "stay in place," so a centralized alarm would not have gone off, however, it appears that some residents were unaware of this.
London Fire Brigade
The FPA will continue to offer support to the London Fire Brigade and other parties affected by this incident and will report on developments in the investigation in due course.