A "chemical incident" at a west London block of flats has resulted in 10 people being hospitalized, according to the London Ambulance Service (LAS).

Emergency services were called to Ethel Rankin House on Landridge Road in Fulham around 00:40 BST. The affected individuals were primarily treated for respiratory issues before being transferred to the hospital, an LAS spokesperson reported.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that the 10 people had been "exposed to an unknown chemical substance."

'Protracted Incident'

Police are awaiting updates on the conditions of those hospitalized. Approximately 60 firefighters, some equipped with breathing apparatus, responded to the scene in an operation that lasted over five hours, stated a London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson.

Residents of Ethel Rankin House were evacuated during the response. The LFB spokesperson noted, "Firefighters carried out a final monitoring sweep of the building and found no elevated readings, allowing residents to return to their properties."

Station commander Graham Crow, who was present at the scene, described it as a "protracted incident."

An LAS spokesperson added, “We sent a number of resources including ambulance crews, incident response officers, members of our Hazardous Area Response Team, and a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance."

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident. Photo by Dani_7C3, Wikimedia commons.