East Ham fire: Child dies and five are taken to hospital in east London house fire as 40 firefighters tackle blaze
- The blaze broke out in East Ham just before 8.30am in a terraced house
- London Fire Brigade had the blaze under control by 9.10am. Sadly a child died
A child has died and five people have been taken to hospital after a house fire in east London.
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to the blaze on Napier Road in East Ham at just before 8.30am on Saturday, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
Half of the first floor and half of the ground floor of a terraced house were damaged by the fire, which was under control by 9.10am.
The London Ambulance Service sent ambulance crews, advanced paramedics, members of its Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and an air ambulance to the scene.
It said the five injured people were taken to a major trauma centre.
A child has been killed and five people taken to hospital following a blaze in a terraced house on Napier Road, East Ham
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were dispatched to the blaze at around 8.30am this morning
LFB assistant commissioner Patrick Goulbourne said: 'This is a terribly sad incident and the thoughts of all of us at London Fire Brigade are with the family, friends and all those affected at this difficult time.
'Staff will be in the local community over the coming days to offer support and advice where needed. The welfare of our staff is very important and all those involved will be offered support from our counselling and trauma service.'
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Enquiries are ongoing to trace the child's next of kin, with the cause of the inferno still under investigation
Scotland Yard said enquiries are ongoing to trace the child's next of kin.
A number of local road closures have been put in place while emergency services deal with the fire.
London Ambulance Service later said: 'Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews and emergency service partners, one person died at the scene. Five people were conveyed to a major trauma centre as a priority.'
Scotland Yard said officers from Newham were at the scene.
In a notice on the microblogging site previously known as Twitter, a spokesperson wrote: 'We are currently working with @LFBNewham and @Ldn_Ambulance at Napier Road, E6. The incident is currently ongoing and updates will be posted when they are available. Napier Road is closed to access at the moment.'
The cause of this morning's blaze is still under investigation.
