Fire Breaks Out at East London Apartment Tower Near Canary Wharf

(Bloomberg) -- A fire has broken out at an apartment block in London’s Poplar district, which neighbors the Canary Wharf financial district.

The exterior of the New Providence Wharf building, developed by Ballymore Properties, is clad with a similar material to that used on the Grenfell tower in west London, where a 2017 fire quickly spread and killed 72 people.

“We have sent a number of resources, including ambulance crews,” a spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said by email. “They have treated a number of people and remain at the scene, where they are working with other emergency services.”

Ballymore did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. The developer completed the building in 2015.

The U.K. has been grappling with how to pay for the replacement of dangerous cladding from hundreds of blocks since the Grenfell tragedy, leaving residents stranded in unsafe homes that have become impossible to sell. The government has pledged 5 billion pounds ($7 billion) to replace combustible cladding on buildings, but only those over 18 meters tall. The funding doesn’t cover the cost of additional fire safety measures required in the interim.

The government last week voted down an amendment to a new fire safety bill that would have prevented building owners from passing on the cost of repair works to apartment buyers, who typically own long leases on their properties.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.