Six dead, including three children, and 30 rescued from flat block blaze

Six people were killed yesterday in London when a fire ripped through an apartment building trapping residents in their homes.

Screams echoed through the streets of South London yesterday as victims cried out for help from their windows of the 12 story high rise.

According to officials, a child and a newborn baby were among the six who were killed in the Thursday afternoon fire, which left 30 people trapped for up to five hours as flames engulfed seven floors of the block within minutes.

Officials said three people died at the scene and three died at a hospital, and six adults and five children who suffered smoke inhalation were rushed to a hospital.

Authorities said there are no indications yet as to what caused the fire, which is believed to have started in a communal area on the fourth floor.