Watch: Huge flames and smoke billows from Grenfell Tower after massive blaze

Harrowing footage shows the moment that smoke and flames billowed out of the Grenfell Tower in West London after a huge blaze occurred last night.

It is not currently known how many people have been killed, but police have confirmed a ‘significant’ number of fatalities, with several hundred people believed to have been in the flats at the time.

In the footage, huge flames can be seen engulfing the building, which is situated in North Kensington, London.

London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton has confirmed that police were first called at 12.54, before the first of 40 units arrived within six minutes.

Speaking to assembled press at the scene, she said: ‘This is an unprecedented incident. In my 29 years of being a firefighter, I have never ever seen anything of this scale.’

The London Ambulance Service has confirmed that more than 50 people have been taken to hospitals over London.

Residents who were lucky enough to escape spoke of their terror and claimed that others had been screaming for help, jumping from upper floors.

Writer Tim Downie, who lives close to the scene, said: ‘It’s horrendous. The whole building is engulfed in flames. It’s gone. It’s just a matter of time before this building collapses.

‘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.’