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At least six people have died in the fire at Grenfell Tower in London, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed, warning that the number of fatalities is expected to rise.
Flames engulfed the West London tower block overnight, with 200 firefighters fighting to tackle the blaze as residents fought to make their way out of the burning building.
"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."
More than 50 people were being treated in five hospitals across the capital, as many people remained "unaccounted for."
A newsletter to residents in 2014 said the building had a "stay put" policy which worked because the block had been designed according to “rigorous fire safety standards”.
The newsletter, published by The Guardian, read: "Our longstanding ‘stay put’ policy stays in force until you are told otherwise. This means that (unless there is a fire in your flat or in the hallway outside your flat) you should stay inside your flat. This is because Grenfell was designed according to rigorous fire safety standards. Also, 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."
The Met Police said it was too early to speculate on the cause of the fire, which was believed to have taken hold around 1am on Wednesday.
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