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Grenfell-Tower-fire-main_article_image.jpg
AP
UK News

Churches open doors to evacuated residents after deadly tower block fire

Families forced from their homes after the blaze in Latimer Road, North Kensington, have been offered shelter at the Latymer Christian Centre and St Clements Church which are both nearby.

Derek White from the Latymer Christian Church told Premier: "Our community hall is full of people who have brought clothes for people who have been made homeless. There's food being brought in; sandwiches, fresh fruit, drinks."

Natalie Oxford and PA

At least six people have died after the fire tore up the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington in the early hours of the morning. The death toll is expected to rise.

Commander Stuart Cundy from the Metropolitan Police warned it would probably be some time before police would be able to identify the victims and said it was too early to speculate over the cause of the blaze.

Rick Findler/PA Wire

Derek White went on to say: "The emergency services have been doing a fantastic job. Pray for them. Pray for stamina to keep going. Looking out the window it still looks like the building's on fire [but] no where near as bad as it has been.

"It's really encouraging to see how the community is coming together and I know that other community centres in the area have been open... we were here for 1am. There are people who have been up all night just helping and coming together as a community."

Rick Findler/PA Wire

Premier's Deborah Ferguson lives two buildings away from the tower. She said: "There's a guy right now who is sitting down, he's literally on the verge of fainting because he doesn't know where his family is. People have been sent to so many different hospitals. People are missing three year olds, four year olds and five year olds...

Deborah went to the Latymer Christian Centre and described how she is helping people find loved ones: "A few of my friends are going around different hospitals, that live in neighbouring areas, and taking a list of names of people who've been brought to A&E. They're calling us at the different centres and letting us know who is there."

Rick Findler/PA Wire

Actor and writer Tim Downie, who lives near the scene, said: "It's the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. I just hope they have got everyone out. The first I knew was the noise of sirens, helicopters and shouting. I saw it engulfed in flames.

"People have been bringing water, clothes, anything they've got to help, out to the cordon. I have seen people coming out in their bedclothes - it's just very distressing."

Victoria Jones/PA Wire

Iyisha Rocke lives opposite the tower with her grandmother and told Premier - while waiting to be evacuated - how she discovered the building was on fire.

She said: "I just woke up at about 3 o clock and I could smell smoke and hear lots of helicopters outside and then the sky was just red and orange so I got up and went to the kitchen and then I could just see the flat completely engulfed in flames."

Victoria Jones/PA Wire

More than 200 firefighters are on the scene at the 27-storey Grenfell Tower. Some 30 people have been taken to five hospitals after the blaze, which was reported at 1.15am.

"Several hundred" people would have been in the tower block at the time, according to the leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Nick Paget-Brown.

Witnesses reported seeing people being trapped in their homes. Images have emerged of people looking out of windows in the tower.

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