17 people rescued from London tower block blaze

A fire at a 16-storey tower block has been brought under control, the fire brigade said tonight.

Around 60 firefighters battled the blaze on the 13th floor of Fred Wigg House in Leytonstone, east London, after they were called to the tower block in Montague Road at about 11.30pm last night.

Seventeen people were rescued by fire crews from the upper floors, and 60 evacuated from other floors, a London Fire Brigade spokesman said.

He said not everyone has been officially accounted for, but crews are not actively searching for people.

"At the moment not everyone is formally accounted for, but we have no reports of anybody being missing, and we are hopeful," he said.

"The brigade was called at 11.30pm yesterday evening and the fire was declared under control at 1.04am this morning, but crews are expected to be at the scene for some time.

"The cause of the fire is being investigated."

The spokesman later said everybody had been accounted for. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

PA