London tower block with ’non-compliant cladding’ goes up in flames

A huge blaze engulfed a block of flats in Dagenham with “known fire safety issues” on Monday. More than 100 people have been evacuated and two taken to hospital after a fire broke out in the building in east London. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said they are carrying out a “significant search and rescue operation” after being called to the blaze on Freshwater Road at on Monday. Forty engines and around 225 firefighters have responded to the fire which engulfed the whole mixed-use commercial and residential building, including scaffolding surrounding the property and the roof, the LFB added. London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe told the BBC that the building “has a number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade”. Work had been under way to remove “non-compliant cladding” from the building, called Spectrum House, this month. At around , the fire service said the blaze was producing heavy smoke and advised local residents to keep windows and doors c