Over 200 firefighters are responding to a blaze in Dagenham, east London, and two people have been taken to hospital.

Parts of the ground to sixth floors, scaffolding surrounding the tower block, and the roof caught fire overnight.

Dozens of people, including children, have been evacuated from the building and a “significant search and rescue operation” is under way.

The London Fire Brigade said the building, which they described as a mixed-use residential and commercial building, was known to have “a number of fire safety issues”.

A planning application from 2023 shows that the building was covered in “non-compliant” cladding.

The scaffolding surrounding the building was in place to remove the cladding on the fifth and sixth floors when the fire broke out.

Plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky as 40 fire engines and 225 firefighters responded.

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Emergency services were called around 2.44am and the first crews arrived at the tower block within five minutes.

Four patients were treated at the scene, and two were taken to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Station commander Alan Bendell said: “The fire is producing heavy smoke and we’re advising local residents to keep windows and doors closed.”

He said that 64-metre turntable ladders and drones were being used to battle the blaze.

“Freshwater Road is closed to traffic, so please avoid the area where possible,” he added.

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A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.52am to reports of a fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham.

“We sent a large number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic in critical care, emergency planning officers, a command support vehicle and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).

“We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.”

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Emergency services maintained a large presence at the scene this morning.

A rest centre has been set up in the Beacontree Health and Leisure Centre.

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