Five people have been taken to hospital with smoke inhalation following a two-alarm fire at an apartment building in the city's east end.

Toronto Fire crews were called shortly after 5:30 a.m., Friday, to the four story building on Kingston Rd. near Warden Ave.

The fire began in a main floor unit but came up through the floor of a unit on the second floor.

One person had to be rescued by crews with a ladder on the third floor.

Twelve trucks and 45 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze.

The cause of the fire is unknown.