A crane operator seen struggling in a cloud of thick black smoke after a fire broke out at a building site was among seven people rushed to hospital this morning.
The worker was treated for severe shock and smoke inhalation after the ground floor of one unfinished block at the Makers Yard Development in Canning Town, east London, set alight.
The man, an agency worker, was at work on the housing development when the fire broke out.
He was later seen perilously standing on the edge of a crane despite the smoke from the fire nearly engulfing him.
A colleague told : ‘The crane operator is in hospital. He is being treated for shock and smoke inhalation. He is an agency worker.’
Huge plumes of black smoke engulfed the neighbouring Brunel Street Works apartment and the surrounding buildings.
Residents of the social housing complex were evacuated, and shops and restaurants were closed down as the acrid black smoke swept through the streets.
Some 70 firefighters rushed to the scene in ten fire engines and quickly put out the fire.
The London Fire Brigade had received more than 25 calls from concerned residents across east London, and they used a 64-metre ladder to douse the flames.
One person was rescued by firefighters using a 13.5 metre ladder at the 10-storey building.
Police closed off a McDonald’s restaurant close to the scene and a Morrisons supermarket shut its doors due to the smoke.
One resident told how the fire broke out about 8.30am this morning.
Restaurant worker Zak, 33, told : ‘At about 8.30 this morning there was all this smoke everywhere. It was all over the street, it was so black.’
Another resident told how the smoke had forced the Morrisons supermarket to close.
Photographer Everton Skerritt said: ‘There was so much smoke that the supermarket was forced to close. The smoke was going into the shop.’
Leo Mometti, owner of yapix – a coffee and wine house – described the incident as ‘scary’. The 33-year-old said: ‘It was shocking this morning. It was very scary.
‘Security came out quickly and they said it was contained and that we could stay open. The smoke was shocking. I have not seen many fires. Everyone who has come in today has been talking about it.
‘We had to close before for a few weeks because of a flood, so I was very worried. I don’t want it to reflect badly on this area because it is such a nice place.’
One of Leo’s customers, fashion designer Furqan Aziz, said: ‘I knew there was an emergency somewhere because of all the police, but I didn’t know what.
‘I was coming here to go to Morrisons, and the security guard told me that it was a fire. The shop had to close. Canning Town has been voted the best new place to live. It is an absolutely amazing place.
‘Accidents can happen anywhere, and that’s what this is. This fire could have been in central London or the Houses of Parliament. It doesn’t reflect on the place at all, it could have been anywhere and people should remember that.’
And Muqhtar Mohammed, a Morrisons security guard, added: ‘It happened around 8:30, there was this thick black smoke everywhere. We were really shocked.
‘We had to evacuate everyone from the store. It came from the construction site. There have been loads of police and construction workers about. When I came in this morning there was a huge crowd outside.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: ‘We were called at 8.28am today (4 June) to reports of a fire at the junction of Silvertown Way and Wouldham Road, Canning Town.
‘We sent resources to the scene including ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).
‘Our first paramedics arrived on scene in less than three minutes. We treated 10 people in total. We took seven patients to hospital and discharged three patients at the scene.’
After the fire broke out, a social media user wrote on X: ‘I live in Hackney, a few miles away from Canning Town and I can smell the smoke from this site here.’
Another said: ‘Building on fire in Canning Town, London. Looks like a building under construction. Firemen are already on location.’
A third wrote on X: ‘Another on social media said: ‘Ominous scene this morning in Canning Town but police and firemen out in force, making us all feel safe. Looks like only the building sites are affected.’
A statement by the brigade said: ‘The fire produced a significant amount of smoke. People in the area were advised to keep windows and doors closed as crews responded.
‘The Brigade received around 30 calls reporting the fire, with the first call taken at 0823. Crews had the incident under control by 0936. Firefighters from Plaistow, Poplar, East Ham and surrounding fire stations are attended the scene.
‘The cause of the fire is under investigation.’
The LFB advised people to keep windows and doors closed and avoid the area where possible.
Newham London also revealed that the Rathbone Street slip from A13, Hallsville Road and Silvertown Way between A13 flyover and Hallsville junction are all currently closed.
It said in a statement on X: ‘The fire opposite Canning Town bus station is now under control but road closures will remain for several more hours while the London Fire Brigade continues to make the site safe.
‘We will provide further updates as soon as we can but for now please continue to avoid the area.’
has contacted the Met Police for comment.