Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a Surfers Paradise high-rise tower after a fire broke out early on Monday.

Others were reported to be trapped inside lifts or their apartments in the Q1 building – the tallest residential tower in the southern hemisphere – when a blaze apparently ignited in a laundry chute about 7am.

Emergency crews had the fire out by about 7.40am, but the blaze caused “multiple levels” to be “smoke logged”, a Queensland Fire and Emergency spokesman said.

Some 17 people, ranging from a five-month-old baby to those in their 80s, were treated by paramedics. Ten were taken to hospital after the blaze in the 322-metre-tall residential tower.

“On our arrival, we were confronted with a partial evacuation and a number of patients experiencing smoke inhalation,” Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Cary Strong said.

A young man was also treated for minor injuries after falling in a stairwell.

Another seven people are being assessed and could still be taken to hospital.

‘We’re currently monitoring those seven and will make a decision shortly,” Mr Strong said.

Resident Katy Anderson said the fire alarm did not activate on her floor, and she was alerted by staff who were door-knocking apartments.

“As I went out into the lounge room there was just smoke and it wasn’t until I opened up the door I could see there was smoke all throughout the hallways and I knew something was up,” she told the ABC.

“Then a staff member was knocking on the manager’s door to try to get him up because the alarms weren’t going off on our floor, but they were going off on every other floor.”

The Nine Network is reporting that some people, many of them elderly, had to walk down more than 60 flights of stairs to get out.

“We woke up and there was terrible smoke in the corridor,” one evacuee told Nine.

“We passed a couple of people on the stairs and they were in a really bad way, as far as they weren’t able to move.”

There were reports that others had fallen, as well as reports of people trapped inside lifts or stuck in their apartments.

Tweet from @QldFES

QFES confirmed later in the morning that the fire was out. But the emergency was ongoing.

“Occupants who have not yet evacuated should remain in their unit and close the door, turn off any air-conditioning units and open any windows,” it tweeted.

Several roads were closed around the building after the fire, and traffic in the area was jammed.

Later on Monday morning, nearby streets – including Clifford Street and Surfers Paradise Boulevard – remained cordoned off as the emergency response continued.