One woman took to Twitter as she escaped from the massive fire that engulfed the Grenfell Tower block of flats .

As the fire tore through the 24-storey building on the Lancaster West estate in north Kensington, the woman tweeted updates to her followers.

The blaze started in the early hours of Wednesday (June 14) morning.

Around 200 firefighters and 40 engines were sent to the estate and London Fire Brigade confirmed it was classed as a major incident.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed there have been a number of fatalities and more than 50 patients have been taken to five hospitals.

Posting updates to her followers, the resident, who uses the Twitter handle @rsrzy, published her first tweet around 1.40am, the Mirror reports .

At the time she said she was “stuck in this block”.

She continued her tweets by saying, “Can’t leave my house because I’ll die from the smoke,” as worried followers reached out to her and offered advice.

An hour later she posted another tweet saying people were jumping out of windows in a bid to escape the huge blaze.

“Guys I don’t know what to do. I’m stuck in the block. Panicking because people are jumping out the window and I can’t leave my house at all."

Around 4am she then tweeted a picture from outside the tower block and informing worried followers she was safe and well.

“I’m safe guys, please don’t worry."

After the blaze broke out, onlookers said they could hear people screaming from inside the building.

"More screams for help as the fire spreads to another side of the building," one wrote on Twitter.

More than 200 firefighters are tackling the fire at Grenfell Tower
More than 200 firefighters are tackling the fire at Grenfell Tower

Fabio Bebber, tweeting live from the scene, said "people are still trapped on their windows screaming for their lives saying they can't get out."

He added: "We can see how quick the fire spreads via the external panels. It's unbearable hearing someone screaming for their lives at Grenfell Tower."

One video captured residents trying to escape by using bedsheets tied together as a rope.

Another showed people flashing lights in their rooms to attract attention.

George Clarke, the presenter of Amazing Spaces, told Radio 5 Live: "I was in bed and heard 'beep, beep, beep' and thought, 'I'll get up and run downstairs as quickly as I could'.

"I thought it might be a car alarm outside and saw the glow through the windows.

"I'm getting covered in ash, that's how bad it is. I'm 100 metres away and I'm absolutely covered in ash.

"It's so heartbreaking, I've seen someone flashing their torches at the top level and they obviously can't get out.

"The guys are doing an incredible job to try and get people out that building, but it's truly awful."

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The fire is believed to have started around 1.16am but it is unclear what the cause is at this stage.

A Met Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 1.16am on Wednesday (June 14) to reports of a large fire at a block of flats in the Lancaster West Estate.

“Officers, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service are currently at the scene. An evacuation process is underway.

“At this stage we are aware of two people being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

“Cordons are in place and it is advised that the estate and surrounding area is avoided.”

We've set up a JustGiving page in aid of those affected. To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell-tower-support.

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