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A child was passed out of the window of a burning building and half-dressed residents were being rushed into ambulances as firefighters battled a large apartment fire in Christchurch last night.

Four Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) appliances were sent to fight the blaze which was reported shortly before 10pm on New Brighton Rd in the suburb of Shirley.

“All persons are accounted for but there are some injuries to patients. We are unsure what those injuries are,” Fenz said.

Hato Hone St John was advised of the fire at 9.54pm and dispatched two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and an operations manager to the scene.

Four fire appliances are in attendance on New Brighton Rd. Photo / George Heard

It was treating three patients, one with serious injuries and two with moderate injuries.

A witness, who asked not to be named, told the Herald they heard a loud bang before plumes of smoke erupted from the apartment block.

They said they saw a mother and child on the top floor of the building.

Fire crews are battling a 'well involved' fire at an apartment in the Christchurch suburb of Shirley this evening. Photo / George Heard

“The mum passed the child out the top window and two boys from the street were underneath and caught her,” they said.

Afterwards the mother climbed through the top window and dropped to the ground, said the witness.

A Fenz spokesman said fire investigators would attend the scene around 9am today to determine the cause of the blaze.

A witness told the Herald a child was passed from the top window of the apartment. Photo / George Heard