WORLD> Europe
More than 300 evacuated in London blaze
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-11-26 20:25

LONDON: About 310 people have been evacuated from their homes after a large fire swept through a block of flats in south London in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

Dozens of firefighters were tackling the blaze in Peckham and some 20 ambulance crews were at the scene.

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Four people were treated for minor injuries in hospital, mostly smoke inhalation, though police said there were no reports of any deaths.

Shocked residents were evacuated from nearby buildings three to four storeys high after fears the fire would spread.

Television pictures of the blaze showed flames bursting from the top floors of a four-storey building and bewildered residents looking on from street corners as fire crews fought the blaze.

"We just woke up into this total blaze from the construction site across the road and we were told to leave. The whole place was in pandemonium," a local resident told BBC radio.

"There was flying debris all over the place and there were cars ablaze and we were told to get out of the area."

The evacuees are being housed in nearby facilities provided by Southwark Council.

Police said they were alerted to the fire at 4:30 a.m. It is believed to have started on a building site.