The London Fire Brigade has declared a serious incident after a fire engulfed a building in Dagenham. Two people have been taken to hospital and more than 100 residents have been evacuated.
Commissioner Andy Roe has provided an update on X on the fire in Dagenham. He said: “To allow us to focus our resources on the incident, we have declared a major incident. A major search and rescue operation is underway.”
The entire building was affected by the fire, according to an LFB official, and firefighters arrived at the scene five minutes after the first call at 02:44.
Work had begun to remove floor coverings. The fire brigade says the building had “a number of fire safety issues” known to officials.
More than 200 firefighters were on the scene in Dagenham. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
Questions about the role of the cladding in the fire will “form part” of the investigation into the incident. It is not yet known what caused the fire, but the building’s “non-compliant” cladding was in the process of being removed, according to a Facebook post from a contractor.
