Three taken to hospital after tower block blaze

Croydon fire Pic: Gareth Davies

Two men and one woman have been taken to hospital for smoke inhalation  after a fire at a 12 storey block of flats in Croydon.

Ten  fire engines and more than 50 fire-fighters attended the fire at the block of flats in Whitehorse Road Croydon earlier today.  Over 200 hundred people were evacuated.

The Salvation Army Emergency vehicle attended and up to 70 residents were cared for at the nearby Whitehorse Community Centre.

Borough fire commander Chris Bigland confirmed his team rescued one occupant while two escaped along fire exits and were treated for smoke inhalation.

He said: “We mobilised lots of resources to the scene and were able to contain the fire to one flat.   “With intense fires in confined buildings often fires can quickly spread so this was an excellent effort from all involved. Fire is never a good thing but in this case I can definitely describe this as a success.”

Tooting Fire Station Manager Peter Rickard said: “Firefighters got to the scene really quickly and on arrival they could see flames coming from a window on the fourth floor. They worked incredibly hard under hot and smoky conditions to bring the fire under control and successfully rescued a man from the fourth floor.’’

Contractors have begun clearing the site but they can not confirm when residents will be able to return to their homes.

 

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