Two people die in explosion
FIRE CREWS CALLED AFTER SUSPECTED GAS BLAST
TWO people have died in a suspected gas explosion in Southall, it has been confirmed.
Fire crews recovered the bodies from the wreckage in King Street following the blast at 6.30am on Wednesday last week.
The genders and ages of the two people who died have not yet been released by the London Fire Brigade.
Station commander Paul Morgan said: “Our crews have searched the property using specialist equipment including the use of a USAR dogs. We can confirm that sadly two people have died at the scene.
“It has been a painstaking and protracted incident with firefighters working systematically to stabilise the building and search for people involved. Operations have been concluded for the evening and will restart in the morning.
“The explosion caused substantial damage to the shop and structural damage through out.
“In the initial stages firefighters rescued four adults and one child at the rear of the property using a ladder. A further 14 adults and two children self-evacuated from surrounding properties.”
Dr Phone, a phone repair shop, and Chandla Hair Salon, were destroyed in the explosion, with images showing the devastating wreckage.
Four adults and one child were rescued by fire crews when they arrived at 6.38am, while a further 14 adults and two children managed to escape from surrounding properties.
Residents and businesses on King Street and surrounding roads have been evacuated, and some neighbouring properties have had their electricity and gas switched off.
Gliveera-Singh Purewall, 29, was asleep some 50 metres away when the blast went off.
Speaking to MyLondon, the builder said: “There was a huge blast that shook the room and the whole building. I work behind the shops and all the buildings were shaking.
“Everyone woke up and came out of their homes. Mostly people did not know what happened and just listened to the blast. About 15 to 20 minutes later people went home and I stayed out on the street.”
Mr Purewall, who lives in Southall on his own while his family live in Punjab, India, has been stood at the end of King Street for more than eight hours with other residents who cannot return home.
On Tuesday night he was sleeping at the end of King Street, on site on a building he is working on.
His home is at the other end of King Street, on Featherstone Road. He has not yet returned home since the blast. He added: “The whole room shook properly, stuff fell everywhere. Glasses, bottles of coke. Everything. Mostly this area is full of Sikh people so we were all up already. No one knows what happened as the road is closed.”
Members of the public were urged to avoid the area.