Twelve people were taken to hospital following a fire at a block of flats in Douglas during the early hours of this morning.

Two people had to be rescued from a top-floor flat using a turntable ladder after the blaze broke out at a four-storey residential building on Bucks Road.

A major incident was declared for a short period because of the number of casualties requiring treatment.

All 12 people have since been discharged from Noble's Hospital.

Emergency services received reports of the fire at around 3.40am, with three fire appliances, a turntable ladder and an Incident Command Unit dispatched from Douglas Fire Station.

The first appliance arrived within five minutes.

Firefighters found smoke coming from the building and identified that people could be trapped on the upper floors.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to tackle the blaze and search for residents.

Two people were brought to safety using the turntable ladder, while additional teams assisted with searches and ventilation.

All 12 casualties received initial treatment from paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

At the height of the operation, 25 firefighters were deployed, supported by the ambulance service, police and emergency planning personnel.

An additional fire appliance was moved from Laxey to Douglas Fire Station to maintain emergency cover elsewhere on the Island.

Fire investigators believe the blaze may have been linked to a bathroom extractor fan, although the cause has not yet been confirmed.

An investigation remains ongoing, with fire protection officers also carrying out a safety inspection of the premises.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service thanked all emergency personnel involved in the response.

It also reminded residents to ensure smoke alarms are fitted and tested weekly.