Fire destroyed the 7th floor of a hotel along Quezon Avenue in Quezon City Thursday night.

The blaze at the Great Eastern Hotel started at 8 p.m. and reached the 5th alarm at 8:21 p.m. Firefighters said it has reached the Task Force Charlie alarm as of posting time.

Television footage showed flames from the building's 7th floor. People on the hotel's upper floors were also seen waving a white cloth to rescuers on the ground.

ABS-CBN correspondent Willard Cheng said the 7th floor is used to store tissue papers.

Authorities said employees and guests trapped on the upper floors were advised to the roofdeck where a rescue helicopter is waiting for them.

DZMM reported that about 15-20 people with slight injuries have been rescued as of posting time.

Rescue operations, meanwhile, are being hampered by the lack of proper breathing apparatus for firefighters.

As of last report, four of those rescued have been brought to hospital.

They are Arnel Tugade, Juan Badocdoc and his son Jerico and a still unidentified victim who suffered broken bones and is being revived at a hospital.