Eight injured in Glasgow tower block fire

Eight people have been injured after a fire broke out in a flat near the top floor of a Glasgow tower block.

Scottish Fire and Rescue said they were called to the block at Commercial Court in the Gorbals just before 08:00.

Witnesses said smoke was "pouring" out of the windows of the flat, which is on the 14th floor of the building. The blaze started in a kitchen.

A large number of fire engines and other emergency vehicles were sent to the scene.

The fire has now been put out.

A large number of emergency vehicles were sent to the scene

The Scottish Fire and Rescue officer in charge of the incident, Alan Fairbairn, said firefighters were alerted to the kitchen fire at 07:58.

"Operations Control mobilised a number of resources to the scene at Commercial Court, where firefighters extinguished the flames.

"A total of eight casualties were passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and transported to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."

The fire was close to the top floor of the building

Stacey Holmes, who lives just below where the fire broke out said she had heard a "commotion" and then saw fire engines outside.

"When I went to my landing there was water all over my landing as if it was a swimming pool. I knew at that point something was definitely wrong," she said.

Ms Holmes told BBC Scotland that the building's concierge told her there was a fire and that she should stay in her flat.

She said she saw a woman on the veranda outside the flat that was on fire.

"She couldn't get out of her flat and had tied sheets together. I'm shouting to her: 'It's not the movies - don't do that. Stay at your window.'

"Eventually the fire brigade did get in to her."

Margarita Bhoslae, who lives on the first floor said she became aware of the fire after leaving the building with her two children and was trying to get to her car, which was blocked in by emergency vehicles.

"There were three fire engines there already. By the time we left, because I had to call a taxi, more fire engines arrived.

"They worked really well to get this stopped. It was scary just because of what happened last year."

The fire broke out exactly a year after the Grenfell disaster in London.

Eliot Brown, 19, was evacuated from his flat on the 13th floor.

He said: "I woke up and opened my eyes and saw smoke rising past the window.

"I thought it was mist at first and then after that I heard a knock on the door and it was someone shouting to get out."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is the local MSP for the Gorbals, tweeted: "Latest update is that the #Gorbals fire is fully under control - though firefighters remain on scene as precaution against any further risk.

"My thanks again to our firefighters."