Six people, including a newborn baby and two other children, died last night after a blaze engulfed a tower block in London.

Six people, including a newborn baby and two other children, died last night after a blaze engulfed a tower block in London.

The victims, the youngest just three weeks old, were among 18 people taken to hospital. One of the other children who died was aged seven.

About 30 people were initially feared trapped in the 12-storey building in Camberwell, south London, and more than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze.

The London Fire Brigade said it was searching the Lakanal House flats but it was understood everyone had been removed and the fire was under control.

A fire brigade spokesman said seven floors were on fire after the blaze started on the fourth floor at around 4.15pm. Firefighters in breathing apparatus searched the building as the fire quickly spread to the 11th floor.

Some 18 fire engines and several specialist appliances including turntable ladders were at the scene at 8pm tackling the blaze.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said that a "serious" fire was believed to have started in a stairwell and spread to the communal areas between floors four and 11. "A number of rescues have been carried out in extremely difficult circumstances and fire crews equipped with extended duration breathing apparatus are working very hard to reach those still affected," he said.

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said the first of its staff arrived at the scene within four minutes.

"We have sent 16 ambulance crews, eight officers, two single responders in cars, a doctor and our hazardous area response team to the scene," he said.

Michael Thompson, 17, who lives in the tower block, said: "There was a big bang that sounded like an explosion. People were screaming. I called 999 when I saw the flames and they said they were already on their way."