A man has died after jumping from a tower block that was on fire in Bristol.

The fire was on the top floor of Twinnell House, with over 90 residents being evacuated from the building.

Eight people are currently in hospital – seven for treatment for smoke inhalation and another for minor burns – while three others were treated by the ambulance service at the scene.

A full investigation into the incident will be carried out in due course. But after an initial investigation, the council said: “Fire investigators launched an immediate investigation into the cause of the fire, and have reported it as accidental due to an electric bike.

“The investigators also report that all of the fire measures worked well and the fire was contained in the flat where it began. There is some smoke damage to communal areas of the building, but no other flats were directly damaged by the fire.

“Fire doors and alarms both within the flat, and on the top floor, responded as expected given the circumstances. This meant that emergency services had the time needed to tackle the fire and get people out safely.

“The external cladding systems operated as expected and did not ignite or add to the fire. This helped to contain the fire inside the flat and reduce the risk to others.

“Twinnell House has personal fire alarms that worked as expected. All evacuation procedures also worked as planned. Due to previous security issues the stairwell landing doors have a one-way lock to stop people entering from the stairwell (residents can still enter, as well as exit from flat areas). For speed, the emergency services had to smash the glass to operate one of the landing doors rather than searching for keys.”

Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Tony Blatchford said: “This is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life.

“While formal identification has not yet been carried out, we believe we know who the man is and have informed his next of kin. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

“Enquiries into what happened have already begun and we will work closely with the fire service to fully understand what started the fire and how the man sadly died.

“I’d like to thank those who have been evacuated from their homes for their co-operation and understanding and promise them all agencies are working hard to enable them to return home as quickly as possible.”

Dave Hodges, Avon Fire and Rescue Service Duty Group Commander, said: “On arrival crews were faced with a serious fire on the 16^th floor and deployed crews wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the fire and assist residents.

“The upper floors have been damaged by smoke and fire, and water damage has affected many flats on lower floors.

“The fire has now been contained and fire crews remain in attendance making the scene safe. We are working with our partner agencies to support the local community during this difficult time.

“Our sincere condolences go to the friends and family of the deceased.”

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council, the landlord of the block, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the individual who has tragically lost their life in this incident.

“We’re grateful for the swift action of all emergency services and council officers involved to tackle this fire and support residents to the nearby place of safety. Officers are currently supporting the efforts underway to assess the damage and understand how the fire started.

“Residents affected by this tragic incident are being supported and those who require it will be helped into emergency accommodation whilst their homes remain inaccessible.”