A report into a fire at an east London block of flats found a “serious” failure of the smoke ventilation system meant residents’ only escape route was smoke-logged.

Two people needed hospital treatment after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation and another 38 adults and four children were treated at the scene after a fire ripped through the 19-storey New Providence Wharf development, near Canary Wharf, last month.

In a report released on Tuesday, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the building acted like a “broken chimney” after the smoke detectors failed to operate its automatic opening vent (AOV) and fire doors.

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The fire on May 7 started in the fuse board in an 8th-floor flat and then spread out of an open balcony window up to floor 11, the report said.

The LFB said the building’s aluminium composite material polyethylene (ACM PE) cladding, similar to that used on Grenfell Tower, “did not significantly contribute to the external spread of the fire”.

London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills said: ”The smoke ventilation system inside New Providence Wharf acted like a broken chimney leading to a potentially life-threatening situation.

"Had it not been for the exceptional actions of our firefighters and 999 control officers this could have had tragic consequences.

“Despite our response to this fire and drawing on the many lessons learned from the Grenfell Tower fire, in many cases we are sadly still not seeing a culture change in all those responsible for fire safety in high-rise buildings.

“The New Providence Wharf fire needs to be an urgent wake-up call to all building owners and managers. Look at the fire safety solutions inside your building and take action if they are not performing correctly. It is too late to wait for a fire to see if they work.”

Around 125 firefighters and 20 engines were at the scene of the fire, which engulfed three floors.

Approximately 22% of the building’s facade features ACM PE cladding panels, which were found to be a key factor in the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Work to replace the cladding was “under way” and the main contractor had been due to take possession of the site on Monday, according to building developer Ballymore.