A man who jumped from the third floor of a burning block of flats in Reading has described the ordeal.

Fire spread through a building in Rowe Court this morning (Wednesday), killing one person and leaving four in hospital.

Walking barefoot with a bandage on one of his feet, one resident of the building said: “I was involved in the incident – I live in the flat on the third floor of the building.

“I was woken up by an alarm and heard a loud explosion. I heard the people inside screaming and shouting – I think they were my neighbours.

Read more: Follow live updates on the fire here

“I opened the door of my flat and saw a big cloud of smoke – and saw that the exit was trapped.

“A firefighter then came in and told me the building was on fire and to leave it now, so I jumped out of the window and so did he – it’s about 12ft.

“I landed OK but hurt my leg. I think the firefighter is in hospital, but I thought it was better to break my leg than die. I think it’s a miracle how it all happened.”

A resident of nearby Osborne Road said she first thought the sound of the crackling fire was someone smashing bottles in the car park.

Read more: More survivors 'highly unlikely' to be found as people still 'unaccounted for" after blaze

Another woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “We could hear people shouting.”

"There was a lady stuck in there waving a white hanky out the window.

“She did get rescued.”

Other witnesses described a woman jumping or falling from an upper floor.

Reading Chronicle:

Tom Price, 40, who lives in a nearby building, said: “All I heard was a massive explosion and saw smoke billowing from the flats.

“People were leaping from their windows – I know one lady jumped from a high floor.

“There were screams and shouts and glass was being smashed.

“The flames went on for hours but the police and fire engines were here so quick.”

Dozens of emergency service vehicles scrambled to the four-story building within eight minutes of the alarm being raised.

Another man who lives near the scene, who did not want to be named, told the PA news agency: “I’ve never seen so many police and fire engines in my life.

“The building has been really badly damaged, parts of the roof have been torn off, windows are smashed and smoke has been coming out of it for hours.”

The block of flats remains ‘unstable’, according to the Royal Berkshire Fire and rescue Service.

Elizabeth Dylewska, who also lives near Rowe Court, said: “How many people lost their houses before Christmas? It’s very sad.”

Some residents of the flats are still missing and it is ‘highly unlikely’ rescuers will find ‘signs of life’, police said.

The source of ignition is unknown.

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