• A number of people injured
• Fire engulfs tower block
• Reports of trapped residents

LONDON: A huge fire engulfed a 27-storey block of flats in central London on Wednesday injuring a number of people.

Massive flames licked up the sides of the block as 200 firefighters battled the blaze along with 40 fire engines. Flumes of black smoke billowed into the air.

London Fire Brigade said the fire had engulfed all floors from the second to the top of the Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate in west London.

Some people were trapped in the fire, with residents desperately shouting for help from windows on upper floors as the fire spread, some British media reported. Reuters could confirm those reports.

"A number of people being treated for a range of injuries," police said. "Residents continue to be evacuated from the tower block fire."

The cause of the fire, which broke out just after 0000 GMT, is not known at this stage, the Fire Brigade said.