A child is fighting for their life and several others have been transported to hospital following a horror fire in Walsall.

Five people were taken to hospital following a fire on Saturday evening. Emergency services were called at about 10:16pm to Redwood Road in Walsall and sent five ambulances, four parameics officers, the Hazardous Area Response Team and two Critical Care Cars from Midlands Air Ambulance to the scene.

A total of nine fire engines attended the blaze at the "severe fire" at a 2-storey flat above a shop in a mid terraced block. Crews from Walsall, Aldridge, Bilston, Bloxwich, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury, West Bromwich and Willenhall fire stations.

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A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Upon arrival ambulance staff discovered nine patients.

Firstly, a child who was assessed and had sustained potentially life-threatening injuries.

"He received advanced trauma care from ambulance staff at the scene before being conveyed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital with medics travelling on board for further treatment en route.

"Four further patients; two women, a man and a teenage male were assessed and received treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation from ambulance staff at the scene before being conveyed to Walsall Manor Hospital for further assessment.

"A further four patients were assessed by ambulance staff at the scene and did not require further treatment. They received self-care advice before being discharged at the scene."

The fire is understood to have started in the hallway on the ground floor, in the entrance to the flat between two shops and then spread upwards.

It was brought under control by fire crews and has since been extinguished.

Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said: "This was a significant fire in a block of flats above a shop. On their arrival my firefighters worked extremely hard in really challenging conditions and rescued four people from the block via a ladder.

"Two of these were in critical condition, including a child. Firefighters also assisted a further four people from the block. In total WMFS and WMAS treated 10 people for smoke inhalation and they were then taken to hospital.

"I want to pay tribute to all the WMFS staff who attended the incident. Every day they are willing to put their lives at risk to protect the people of the West Midlands, and this tragic incident is one example of this.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the incident and all those affected. We will have specialist fire investigators at scene who will now work alongside police colleagues to determine the cause of the fire."

The has contacted the West Midlands Ambulance Service for an update.