By Emily Caulkett-
A four-year-old girl has died and three others have been left with potentially life-threatening injuries from the collapse of a house after a gas explosion in Croydon.
Firefighters were called to scenes of devastation in Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath shortly after 7am on Monday. The explosion there destroyed at least one house.
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Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were sent to the scene where the terrace house collapsed.
The London ambulance service today said a child had been pronounced dead, three people were taken to hospital, and one discharged at the scene.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed the child died at the scene after the blast ripped through Galpin’s Road around 7am today in Thornton Heath
Police said the child found dead was believed to be a four-year-old girl and that her next of kin had been informed.
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“The body of a child, believed to be a four-year-old girl, was recovered from a building,” the Met said in a statement. “Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.”
The Met said that an investigation into the incident, conducted alongside the London fire brigade, was under way and that roads would remain closed around the scene.
An ambulance service spokesperson said: “We treated four people. One was discharged on scene and three others were taken to hospital. Sadly, a child was also pronounced dead at the scene.
“All London ambulance service crews have now been stood down.”
The three people taken to hospital were understood to have had potentially life-threatening injuries when emergency services treated them.
The fire brigade said 40 homes had been evacuated and that the cause of the fire and explosion was not known. But Merton council said the tragedy was the result of a gas explosion.
Two local residents, Delroy Simms, 62, and Kutoya Kukanda, 50, were hailed as “heroes” after rescuing three children from a house moments after the blast destroyed it.
Mr Kukanda said: “I heard boom, then I opened the door. I saw smoke, the house had collapsed, and people were screaming inside.
“I went inside and took the first baby – there were three children. I took one of the children, gave it to him (Mr Simms).
“The mother was screaming and saying: ‘One of my daughters is still inside’. Everything was falling.”
cue teams with dogs thoroughly search scene Image: PA MEDIA
The council said the community had been “torn apart by tragedy”. Around 100 residents were sheltering at an evacuation centre that had been set up at New Horizons, a nearby community centre, and were due to be placed in hotels overnight.
The council leader, Ross Garrod, said: “We are all devastated by today’s news about the tragic death of a child as a result of the gas explosion at Galpin’s Road. Our thoughts and hearts are with the family affected, and I know everyone in our community will feel the same.
“Residents rightly have questions they want answers to, and a full investigation is under way by the relevant authorities, led by the London fire brigade.”
He said Merton would “keep pulling together, and keep doing everything we can to support those affected”.
He said emergency services would remain on the site “for the foreseeable future”.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said his “thoughts are with all those impacted”.
Dozens of worried neighbours gathered near a police cordon shortly after the explosion. Several people, who had been evacuated in their pyjamas, told the PA Media news agency their windows were shattered early on Monday morning by the force of the explosion.
The tragedy provoked anger among residents, many of whom said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago. Others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the past two days.
Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were sent to the scene where the terrace house collapsed.
The fire brigade said it had taken 14 calls to the incident since 7.08am. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations were sent to the scene.
A statement from the brigade said: “A terraced house has collapsed following an explosion and neighbouring properties have also been damaged. Three people have been rescued.”
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