A man has died and a badly hurt police officer is in hospital after a fire broke out near the top of a 15-storey tower block.
Emergency services were called to the flat blaze on the 14th floor of the 44m-tall building in Luton at around 4am on Thursday.
Bedfordshire Police said the man, in his 50s, was declared dead at the scene in Green Court.
The force said five police officers who responded to the call were taken to hospital, while a firefighter was treated by paramedics.
It is always sad when someone loses their life in a tragedy like this and my thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who sadly passed away
The officer with serious wounds remains in hospital, while the others were treated for “minor injuries and smoke inhalation” and discharged.
Residents described being awoken by people banging on doors and shouting for them to get out of the building, which was cordoned off by police.
One person in Green Court said his first thoughts were of the Grenfell Tower inferno, which killed 72 people in 2017.
Police said around 100 people were evacuated from the Luton tower block and were being supported at various locations nearby.
The force said everyone has been accounted for and the fire has been put out.
Police and the fire service are investigating its cause.
The fire was successfully contained to the flat thanks to the efficient performance of the building’s fire protection measures and fire doors
Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra said: “It is always sad when someone loses their life in a tragedy like this and my thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who sadly passed away.
“This is also a stark reminder of the huge dangers the emergency services face every day.
“I want to thank everyone for their bravery and dedication in responding to this incident, in which one of our officers has been particularly badly injured.
“This will also have an impact on the community in the area.
“I can only imagine how frightening this must have been for those living in this block of flats and I am grateful that this incident has not been even more serious.
“We are all doing everything we can to support those who have been affected and trying to get the area back to a semblance of normality as quickly as possible.”
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service area commander Stuart Auger said 10 engines attended the blaze.
“Crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire, using 24 firefighters with breathing apparatus,” he said.
“The fire was successfully contained to the flat thanks to the efficient performance of the building’s fire protection measures and fire doors.
“Thanks to this, we were able to work alongside Bedfordshire Police to efficiently evacuate all residents from the building with the help of smoke hoods.”
Cllr Tom Shaw, Luton Council’s housing boss, said there was “no indication that cladding was in any way a factor”.
