AT least three people have died after a huge blaze ripped through a Honolulu tower block, with authorities blasting the lack of sprinklers in the complex.

The fire broke out on the 26th floor of the Marco Polo residences in Hawaii, US, and spread to the 28th floor.

Hundreds fled the building as smoke billowed from the upper floors with reports of people screaming for help in chilling echoes of the Grenfell Tower blaze in West London.

At least 12 people were injured, four of who were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Fire fighters went from door to door in a bid to rescue trapped residents after the blaze broke out at about 2.15pm local time, Washington Post reports.

The 36-floor complex did not have sprinklers as it was built in 1971, before they became a legal requirement.

Fire Chief Manuel Neves told the Post: “Without a doubt if there were sprinklers in this apartment, the fire would be contained to the unit of origin.”

Resident Teresa Sommerville  told KHON-TV she heard a panicked resident screaming for help. “She’s like ‘help me, help me,’ and I couldn’t see her because the smoke was so dark," she said.

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Karen Hastings, 71, was in her 31st floor apartment when the fire broke out. She smelled smoke, ran on to her balcony and looked down to see flames below her.

"The next thing we know the fire causes the windows to blow out, and we can see glass flying all the way down," Hasting said. "I says, 'my goodness, anybody who is outside is going to get clobbered with glass.'"

Then, she said, "the fire just blew up and went flying right out the windows. And that was like a horror movie. Except it wasn't a horror movie, it was for real."

She added: "We actually saw a person laying on a ledge and I don't know whether he made it not," Hastings said.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has said the city needs to look at passing a law requiring older buildings to be fitted with sprinklers.

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