FIREFIGHTERS are racing to extinguish a huge fire raging at a block of flats in east London.

Shocking pictures from the scene show clouds of orange and black smoke pouring from the building, which looks to be at least 15 storeys high.

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called out to the scene in Rymill street, north Woolwich.

The London Fire Brigade said their officers took more than 20 emergency calls about the blaze tonight.

It appeared to hit about halfway up the huge block of flats on Thursday evening.

Fire crews asked the public to avoid the area while they try to put out the inferno.

They said it had hit the 10th floor of the block.

The first emergency call made about the fire this evening was just after 10:30pm.

Fire crews from Plaistow, Barking, East Ham, Poplar and other nearby areas rushed to the scene.

The cause of the blaze is unknown.

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