15 people escape blaze with children rescued from shop rooftop

About 15 people escaped a blaze inside a shop which saw children need to be rescued from the rooftop with a ladder.

One person was taken to hospital, while four children and seven adults were saved from a three-storey building after the ground floor set alight.

Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters tackled the blaze at the shop in Woolwich New Road, Woolwich, on Sunday morning.

Part of a ground floor shop, with flats above, was damaged by fire. Two adults and two children were rescued from the three-storey building by firefighters with a nine-metre ladder. 

Five adults and two children were led to safety by firefighters down an internal staircase. Four people escaped the building before firefighters arrived. 

One person was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews, suffering from smoke inhalation.

The London Fire Brigade was called at around 5.30am and the fire was under control by around 7.30am. 

Crews from Plumstead, East Greenwich, Eltham and surrounding fire stations attended.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Pictured top: Firefighters outside the shop after the blaze was under control (Picture: London Fire Brigade)