"The atmosphere here is tense - people are anxious about loved ones and many are coming to the realisation that they have lost their homes".
"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", said Commander Stuart Cundy, of the Metropolitan Police.
Local residents had warned a year ago about a potential fire risk caused by rubbish being allowed to accumulate during the refurbishment.
He said regulations for tall buildings were meant to prevent the spread of fire, so if it does occur, "the consequences are often catastrophic". "It's just such a big fire", Tim Downey, an eyewitness, told BBC early Wednesday.
Residents are advised to make sure they know the fire safety procedures and evacuation plans for their specific building.
Erected under a local council housing initiative, properties at the tower block had been on the market recently for at least £250,000.
"This is an unprecedented incident".
Speaking within sight of the burning high-rise - originally white and gray, but most of which had turned a charred black - Cotton said she would not speculate on the exact number of deaths because of the "size and complexity" of the building.
The ambulance service said 64 people had been hospitalised, 20 of whom were in a critical condition.
"We saw the people screaming", she said.
"Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for them", he said.
But the area also includes pockets of poverty, especially in a cluster of high-rise buildings that mark an unofficial western entry point to central London. Many were awake at the time the fire broke out having their early morning meal before beginning the daily fast for the holy month of Ramzan.
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"Like in most places in England people get together and help each other in times like this and that's what we're trying to do". "I m standing here in everything I ve got", one survivor said.
More than 50 people were hospitalized and rescuers frantically worked through the morning to reach people believed still trapped in the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington. "They had the lights on their phones on and they were shining their lights on their phones through the windows so people could see them", he said.
A local community leader, who is helping locate victims, claimed "nobody who lived on the top three floors survived".
Most of the building was engulfed in flames during the height of the blaze.
A woman showed up in tears looking for her sister, who lived in the 24-story building that caught fire. When he stepped out there was suddenly smoke everywhere, the whole corridor was engulfed.
Ruks Mamudu, 69, said she ran to safety down one flight of stairs to the ground floor from her apartment wearing only her purple pyjamas and bathrobe.
Another witness said a family friend was "stuck on the eighth floor with her 5-year-old daughter" until 5 a.m., nearly four hours after the fire broke out.
Khan declared the fire as a major incident and said questions will need to be answered over the safety of such tower blocks. We have lots of people in London living in tower blocks.
Bystanders and residents reported scenes of panic.
All of the building's 120 apartment units were occupied throughout the refurbishment process, according to borough website.
Contact the Casualty Bureau on 0800 0961 233 to report someone missing or have any concerns for people you think may have been involved - do not use 999 or 101.
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