A FORMER Gazette reporter has told of the horror as he witnessed a fire rip through a tower block in London last night.
An unknown number of people have been killed and dozens injured after the huge fire engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London in the early hours of this morning.
James Cox, who worked for the Gazette in Colchester and now works as a reporter in London, witnessed the tragic event as it unfolded.
He Tweeted saying: "I just spent the night outside the Ladbroke Grove tower fire and it's without a doubt one of the most harrowing experiences of my life.
"I saw people screaming for help, shouting their room numbers, watching burning debris falling off the tower and people hanging out of windows."
Hundreds of firefighters battled to rescue residents from their flats after the fire broke out in the 24-storey block shortly before 1am.
It is not yet known how the fire started.
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