A massive fire has ripped through a 27-storey apartment block in west London, causing an unknown number of fatalities and at least 50 injuries. 200 firefighters in 40 trucks have been battling the blaze, which began shortly before 1 am local time, and several hours later it continues to burn. Eyewitnesses said they had seen people fall or jump from the stricken building. Large pieces of debris could be seen falling from Grenfell Tower, a 1970s block in the working-class north Kensington area — a short distance from chic Notting Hill — which underwent an extensive refurbishment only last year.
