A baby was saved from the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London after its mother threw it from a window to a stranger waiting below.

It is not known whether the mother survived the fire, which has claimed several lives.

The baby was thrown from a window on the "ninth or tenth floor", according to a witness who spoke to the Press Association.

"People were starting to appear at the windows, frantically banging and screaming," Samira Lamrani said.

"The windows were slightly ajar, a woman was gesturing that she was about to throw her baby and if somebody could catch her baby.

"Somebody did, a gentleman ran forward and managed to grab the baby."

There have been multiple reports of residents jumping from the building to escape the flames that ripped through the 24-storey residential block in the early hours of this morning (14 June).

One witness, who gave his name as Daniel, told the BBC: "Nobody could come out, they were trapped in there. They couldn't come down because the lift's the other side. I've seen people jump... one at least, 10-15 floors up."

There are currently six confirmed fatalities but that number is expected to rise. At least 50 people have been taken to hospital and it is still unknown how many residents were inside the building when it caught fire.

Another witness, Jody Martin, told the BBC what he had seen from inside the building: "I watched one person falling out, I watched another woman holding her baby out the window," he said.

"I was yelling at everyone to get down and they were saying 'We can't leave our apartments, the smoke is too bad on the corridors,'" he added.

Talk Radio reported that people had been shouting "say a prayer, and jump out" to people still trapped in the building.

Grenfell Tower fire west London
A baby was thrown from Grenfell Tower Toby Melville/Reuters