ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Eight fire engines and 58 firefighters are currently battling a fire at a tower block in Mile End.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) say half of a flat on the 12th floor of a tower block is alight in Wellington Way, Mile End.

The Brigade received over 90 calls to the fire and were first called at about 12.30pm. Crews from Bethnal Green, Shadwell, Stratford and Whitechapel are in attendance.

Forty people were forced to flee the tower block as smoke billowed over east London. No one was injured in the blaze.

At this stage, the LFB say the cause of the fire is unknown.

Rebecca Lovell, who lives around the corner from the fire, said she was on her bike before she could smell smoke. Her partner told her it had been on the news, so she cycled to the scene.

The 45-year-old said: "I live close to it, but I didn't see what happened. From speaking to police they say the whole building was evacuated and the fire is under control."

She added: "I just saw one side of the building with damage. It didn't look like there was cladding on it, but I'm not an expert about that. I didn't see people in distress outside, but I think that might be because it was a few hours ago, people were quite calm."

Ms Lovell said that after the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, she was concerned the fire could have been worse.

She said: "I just thought 'I hope it's not another Grenfell Tower' . Everybody is very alert when you hear there's a fire in a tower block. Fortunately everybody got out ok."

Muhbeen Hussain wrote online: "There is a Tower Block in Mile End, London on fire. Fire fighters are attending to it. Pray that everyone is getting out safe."

"Emergency services are attending but the fire seems to be very much ablaze."

Jagmail Singh, 35, of Bow Food & wines, said: "Someone came running in the shop saying there was a fire across the road.

"I called the fire brigade straight away but they said they'd already received lots of calls on it. The road is still closed off with the police at the moment."

Mr Singh said he was shocked to see it happened so close to his work, and said at one point he could see eight fire engines travelling to the scene.

The fire was under control by 2pm, a LFB spokesman said.

A spokeswoman for LAS said: "We were called a 12:36pm today to Wellington Way, Mile End to reports of a fire.

“We sent an incident response officer and an ambulance crew to the scene. We also dispatched our hazardous area response team (HART).

"We assessed three people at the scene but did not take them to hospital.”

Mile End Fire - In pictures 17 show all Mile End Fire - In pictures 1/17 Tower fire: The blaze at the block in Mile End @claireux 2/17 Flat blaze: The tower block on fire in Mile End @claireux 3/17 @MuhbeenH 4/17 via @CamRoberts1 5/17 @felicityhall 6/17 @felicityhall 7/17 @felicityhall 8/17 @quirkandfolly 9/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 10/17 A fire fighter looks at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 11/17 Emergency service vehicles near a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 12/17 A fire fighter looks at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 13/17 Emergency services block access to Wellington Way, Mile End, east London, where a fire broke out on the 12th floor flat of a high-rise block PA 14/17 The exterior of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 15/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 16/17 People look at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 17/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 1/17 Tower fire: The blaze at the block in Mile End @claireux 2/17 Flat blaze: The tower block on fire in Mile End @claireux 3/17 @MuhbeenH 4/17 via @CamRoberts1 5/17 @felicityhall 6/17 @felicityhall 7/17 @felicityhall 8/17 @quirkandfolly 9/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 10/17 A fire fighter looks at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 11/17 Emergency service vehicles near a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 12/17 A fire fighter looks at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 13/17 Emergency services block access to Wellington Way, Mile End, east London, where a fire broke out on the 12th floor flat of a high-rise block PA 14/17 The exterior of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 15/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 16/17 People look at the damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA 17/17 Damage to the outside of a high-rise block in Wellington Way, Mile End, in east London, after a fire broke-out in a 12th floor flat PA

Earlier today London firefighters appeared at the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry to give evidence about the blaze that claimed 72 lives.

David Badillo, part of the North Kensington crew which arrived first at the inferno last June described crying "every day" after learning of the death of a 12-year-old girl he tried to save.

He recounted the doomed rescue bid in heartbreaking detail as part of a written statement submitted to the Grenfell Tower public inquiry, published on Friday.