FIREFIGHTERS rescued terrified residents from a block of flats following a blaze.

Emergency services were called to the apartments in Gordon Road in Corringham just before 1am this morning.

The blaze broke out in a ground floor flat but smoke quickly spread through the building leaving two residents on the first floor trapped on their balconies.

Essex Fire and Rescue said its operators stayed on the line with the pair, who were very frightened, until help arrived.

When the help arrived fire crews used ladders to bring them down.

On arrival the incident commander reported that a fire in a ground floor flat which had created smoke logging throughout the block of six flats.

Crews in breathing apparatus searched the building to make sure all neighbours had got out while firefighters tackled the blaze.

Using two hose reel jets they had extinguished the fire by 01:14am.

Two people were left in the care of the Ambulance Service suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.