By TOM MIDLANE
Published: | Updated:
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146 View commentsA terrifying fire ripped through a luxury apartment complex in central London this evening.
Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called into action after ablaze broke out at Goodman's Fields on Leman Street, Aldgate on Sunday just before 5.45pm.
Two flats on the sixth and seventh floors of the building were alight,London Fire Brigade said in a statement.
A video posted on X showed fire raging inside one apartment, with huge plumes of thick blame smoke drifting up to the apartment above.
Firefighters led 11 people to safety but there are currently no reports of any injuries from the blaze.
The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took the first of 15 calls to the fire at 5.43pm and mobilised crews from Whitechapel, Shadwell, Shoreditch, Dowgate, Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations to the scene.
The seven-acre Goodman's Fields site is described as 'an award winning, food, drink, health and entertainment destination' in Aldgate East.
The location used to be home to a postal sorting office but is now home to 'one of London's most historic and vibrant urban quarters right on the doorstep of the City of London'.
A video posted on X showed the fire raging through the apartment, with thick plumes of black smoke drifting up to the apartment above
A map showing the location of the fire in the Aldgate area of London, between Liverpool Street and the Tower of London
Smoke pours from the fifth floor luxury flat as bright flames burn through the apartment
Emergency services are currently responding to a major fire at a residential apartment block on Leman Street in East London
The incident has been declared a fifteen-pump fire, indicating a large-scale emergency response with multiple fire engines on scene
The fire appeared to have spread to other apartments in the complex
An aerial shot shows smoke billowing from the site of the fire
A two-bedroom apartment in the complex recently sold for £1.1million
The cause of the fire is not known at this time but the incident was declared a fifteen-pump fire, indicating a large-scale emergency response with multiple fire engines on scene.
It is not yet known if there are any individuals trapped inside the apartment block and firefighters are believed to be conductingurgent search and rescue operations.
There is a significant emergency presence in the area, and members of the public are urged to avoid Leman Street and surrounding roads to allow emergency services to work safely and efficiently.
Borough commander Lucy Macleod, who was at the scene, said: 'Crews acted swiftly to bring the fire under control, but will remain on site this evening to damp down remaining hotspots.
'Road closures are currently in place, and there is significant congestion in the surrounding area. We urge the public to avoid the vicinity where possible while we continue to work to make the scene safe.
'One of the Brigade's 64-metre turntable ladders was used as an observation tower, providing a vantage point for incident commanders to assess the incident.
'We're working closely with our partners to ensure support is available for residents affected by the incident.'
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 6.28pm today (Sunday 20 April) to reports of a fire in Leman Street, E1.
'We sent resources to the scene, including members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), members of our Tactical Response Unit and an incident response officer.
'Our crews assisted our emergency services partners at the scene, but were later stood down when it was determined there were no patients for us to treat.'
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