AT LEAST twelve people have been confirmed dead in a devastating inferno that ripped through a 24-storey London tower block with the death toll expected to rise.

London mayor Sadiq Khan paid tribute to emergency services at the scene for “running towards danger while other people were running away”.

At least 68 people were treated in hospital for injuries including smoke inhalation and the mayor said “the figures are going to go up”. Eighteen people are thought to be in a critical condition.

Witnesses outside the block told of horrifying scenes with residents trapped inside while screaming for help and throwing their children to safety.

London’s Metropolitan Police spokesman Stuart Cundy said there were 120 flats in the building and it was “very very challenging” to put a figure on how many remain unaccounted for.

“I don’t anticipate that there will be further survivors,” he said.

It comes as witnesses report seeing people inside the burning building opting to stay put rather than leave.

Neighbour Mohammad Jamal, 27, told news.com.au he yelled at those inside to get out but many opted to stay and shelter as they were reportedly instructed.

“First we saw a lot of people at their windows screaming, a lot waving, using phones. Others who we yelled at to leave told us: ‘We’ve been told to stay’,” Mr Jamal told news.com.au.

Those on the street could see that the blaze had engulfed one side of the building.

“They couldn’t see it spreading,” he said.

“People were still sleeping. We were trying to throw stones to get people’s attention. Everyone was helpless.”

As many as 600 people may have been in the building when the fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning. A “significant” number are still unaccounted for, with worried families and friends flooding makeshift evacuation centres in the neighbourhood.

Ahmed Chellah said he was looking for news of his brother-in-law and his wife, who were inside with their three children.

“The last time I spoke with them was at 1.45am. She seemed calm,” he said of his relative.

“Her husband was talking with emergency services. She told me they asked her to put towels around the doors. She sounded calm.”

However, he spoke to her again at 2.15am and she said “smoke was coming into the flat”.

“Whether the emergency services got to them and have taken them to hospital, I don’t know,” Mr Chellah said.

The fire is still being brought under control.

“Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this truly shocking fire at Grenfell Tower,” Commander Stuart Cundy, of the Metropolitan Police, said.

“I can confirm six fatalities at this time but this figure is likely to rise during what will be a complex recovery operation over a number of days. Many others are receiving medical care.”

The London Ambulance Service reports that it treated 69 patients and took them to six hospital across the city. Eighteen are in critical care.

Local resident Maureen O'Neill said she saw 'waterfall of flames' @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/mqy1FNZS2n — Victoria Craw (@victoria_craw) June 14, 2017

FRANTIC WAIT FOR NEWS OF LOVED ONES

London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton said the blaze was “completely unprecedented”.

“We have concerns that there may be more people within the premises,” she said.

Police have not put a figure on the number of people missing, but anxious relatives and friends have started to post desperate messages on social media looking for their loved ones.

Harrowing accounts of trapped people screaming for help — with some jumping to the ground in desperation — have begun to emerge.

Many of those who escaped the inferno were evacuated to nearby churches and community centres. Others arrived there on Wednesday morning to look for friends and family.

Teenagers from a nearby school came down to look for their missing friends. Among the missing, they say, are Georgina Smith, 12, her sister Kristina, 7, and Jessica Urbano, 12. A friend of the three, Asia Phillips, told news.com.au: “We’ve phoned, texted, snapchatted, and ran out of credit. We’ve been calling but it just goes to voicemail.”

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman released a statement saying she was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

“The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with all of those affected by this terrible incident and the emergency services, who are working tirelessly in very difficult circumstances,” he said.

‘NOT SOMETHING YOU FORGET’

Witness Elaine Lara lives on fourth storey of a building opposite the devastated tower. Through tears, she told news.com.au she was standing outside watching the fire engulf the building, powerless to help.

“I heard commotion outside at 1.30 and thought it was someone arguing. It was so intense that I went outside. It was a horrible scene, you could hear people screaming for help. You could hear a woman yelling: ‘Help, I have my kids’,” she said.

“Only in movies you see that sort of thing; not something you forget.”

She said she watched as residents tied sheets together to form a rope on the 10th floor.

“The screaming of people, it’s distressing to hear people calling out for help and you can’t do anything,” she said.

“There was somebody up there with a phone shining the light. You could see the fire spreading across. You really hope they got away but I feel deep down they didn’t.”

Distraught family outside #GrenfellTower say it was awful to hear people scream for help @newscomauHQ pic.twitter.com/J7lWVghTBf — Victoria Craw (@victoria_craw) June 14, 2017

‘HELL ON EARTH’

A police officer told news.com.au there could be survivors as trapped people could be seen in the windows in a section of the building that’s sealed off where the fire hadn’t spread to.

Kamal Hassan had been frantically scouring the cordon looking for his friend and his wife who he believed was trapped inside with their three children.

“The phone is dead,” he told news.com.au near the scene.

Horrified onlookers said the inferno resembled “hell on earth” at its peaks, with huge flames engulfing the building.

Maureen O’Neill described seeing a “waterfall of flames” that spread around the building.

“Haunting screams” could also be heard as hundreds of frantic firefighters battling the blaze.

Khalid Sarang, 23, lives in neighbouring block and said: “There is a family of four trapped up there now screaming. The first thing I heard were the screams and I came running out.

“It’s like hell on earth.”

WHAT CAUSED THE BLAZE?

Authorities are working to determine the cause of the deadly blaze, however eyewitness reports suggest it may have begun with a “fridge explosion” on the lower levels of the building.

Witnesses told news.com.au official advice had been to stay inside and cover themselves in a wet blanket. They were also reportedly being asked to shine torches or their mobile phones to help guide rescuers.

The fire safety advice to Grenfell Tower residents was to stay in their flats unless told otherwise.

The advice said: “The new front doors for each flat can withstand a fire for up to 30 minutes, which gives plenty of time for the fire brigade to arrive.”

MAYOR CALLS FOR ANSWERS

London mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “truly devastated to see the horrific scenes” at the Grenfell Tower and has promised an investigation into the cause.

“My heart goes out to everyone affected,” he said.

“I am sad to confirm that we now know there have been fatalities … The fire service is dealing with a rapidly changing situation and these numbers are likely to rise.

“I want to reassure Londoners that we will get all the answers.”

Locals also pointed the finger at upgrades made to the building about 18 months ago, which some say may have made it less safe. Narrow lanes also restricted access for emergency services meaning many of the 200 firefighters who arrived were forced to park in side streets and carry heavy firefighting equipment with them.

A woman who lives across the road from the burning tower, Celeste Thomas, tweeted that she could see debris falling and hear loud “cracking” noises from inside while the fire blazed.

Later on Wednesday, large chunks of soot and debris fell from the sky to litter streets and gardens.

Neighbours shouting to a man still visible in a window at Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/oUh7HgD08i — Alice Ross (@aliceross_) June 14, 2017

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS UNFOLD

Overnight, shocked witnesses gave their account of what was unfolding in front of their eyes.

One man could be seen waving a blanket from the window, while other people were reportedly visible inside, The Guardian reported.

“There was a woman with a child. I saw her waving maybe 30 miss ago,” a witness said. “She said I’ve got a child ... I saw them spraying her window.”

Another devastating account from an eyewitness said a burning man had been seen falling.

Hadil Alamily told The Guardian she saw the man flashing a light in an SOS pattern.

“He was screaming help, help, help but no one helped. He dashed a mattress out of the window. He was literally on fire and jumped.”

Dana Ali, 30, told The Sun that her parents Maria, 51, and Khalid, 61 were trapped in their flat on the 10th floor of the building.

London tower block resident rescued little girl from horrendous fire London tower block resident rescued little girl from horrendous fire

“They said they’re in their living room, they’re closing all the doors, they can’t get out. They opened the main door and saw black smoke,” she said after speaking to them on the phone.

“They couldn’t see anything so they closed the door back. And now I’m trying to call and they’re not answering.”

Usama Itani told the BBC he had seen “some evidence of life” from within the building.

“People blinking lights from within the building and things like that … I could see someone on perhaps the 11th floor standing with her hand to ear … maybe on the phone.”

The fire started at the top of the 24-storey building, which started about 1.16am, local time. At least 200 people live there.

The block, which is located beside Kensington Aldridge Academy school, is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) on behalf of the council and contains 120 homes. It was built in 1974.

Grenfell Tower fire still burning in W London. Entire building aflame. Met people who evac'd. & saw top story flat lights blinking earlier. pic.twitter.com/NmrPoocAFo — Ousama Itani (@itanio) June 14, 2017

DANGER WARNING

A blog late last yearby occupants of the tower warned only a catastrophic fire in the tower would “bring an end to the dangerous living conditions” of tenants and leaseholders.

“Unfortunately, the Grenfell Action Group have reached the conclusion that only an incident that results in serious loss of life of KCTMO residents will allow the external scrutiny to occur that will shine a light on the practices that characterise the malign governance of this non-functioning organisation.”

Dawn begins to break over burning Grenfell Tower pic.twitter.com/e6CWaVw0xp — EBajgora (@Ebajgora17) June 14, 2017

Fire is getting worse and people are still screaming for help#grenfelltower pic.twitter.com/tafB2Cp6tD — Fabio Bebber (@biobber) June 14, 2017

Rydon, the contractor that completed refurbishment works on the building last year, issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon, expressing their “shock” and offering condolences to the families and friends of those lost.

statement from contractor Rydon that carried out Grenfell Tower refurb pic.twitter.com/iL7C4KOegl — Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) June 14, 2017

andrew.koubaridis@news.com.au