Pictures posted on social media show a huge blaze ripping through the side of the Coolmoyne House tower block in Seymour Hill, Dunmurry.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 5.30pm this evening. 

At least four people werer treated by paramedics and one man has been taken to The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast city centre.

One resident had to be rescued from the inferno by fire crews.

Locals ahve claimed the fire alarms in the flats failed to activate.

Around 300 tower block residents were evacuated from the high rise building and watched the blaze from the street.

The local community hall opened for them to shelter.

It is unclear when they will be allowed to return to their homes.

A local community worker told the BBC all residents had been evacuated from the block and the fire was "under control".

The fire broke at a ninth floor flat of a man living alone. He was able to raise the alarm and alert other residents. 

Locals took to social media to praise the rapid actions of the emergency services.

Laura Brown wrote: "Fire in a block of flats in Dunmurry, according to the news not a single person lost their life. The fire brigade in Northern Ireland should be proud. We don’t give emergency services enough credit!"

John McPoland, a spokesman for the ambulance service of Northern Ireland, said: “The flats were evacuated by the fire service. They went in and were extinguishing the fire in a flat believed to be on the ninth floor. Four patients are receiving ambulance assistance at this moment. It appears that everyone has been evacuated.

“Northern Ireland ambulance service were called to the scene at 17.35 by fire and rescue. They dispatched five ambulance and emergency crew, five rapid response paramedics, nine ambulance officers, a doctor and two heart paramedics.”

Julie Ann Jackson from the Seymour Hill and Conway Community Residents Association said the fire broke out in the flat of a man in his 50s who lived alone, who was able to alert other people in the building about the fire.

Speaking about concerns of the residents, she told the Belfast Telegraph: “I think they were shook up from Grenfell, and after tonight they are really shook up.”

She said that safety drills had recently been carried out at the block, which is owned and operated by Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The drills came after the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London in June.