FIREFIGHTERS rescued 12 people from a three-story block of flats in Margate on Friday evening.

The alarm was raised at 6.25pm and within five minutes crews from the Margate and Thanet (Broadstairs) station were at the scene in William Avenue in the Dane Valley.

They used ladders to help residents from the building while colleagues wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets to tackle the flames.

Ambulance crews and police officers also attended.

A spokesman for Margate fire and rescue service said: “If it wasn’t for the quick response time of the emergency services this could have been a larger incident with more serious consequences”

Residents were taken into the care of the local authorities for re-housing.