06 April 2023 , 20:58
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A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman died in a fire at a block of flats in East London.
Crews from the London Fire Brigade were called to Tollgate Road in Beckton shorty after 5pm, as flames were seen bursting through at least two second floor windows.
A huge emergency response, including teams from the London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police, cordoned off the road as six fire engines and 40 firefighters battled the blaze.
One woman is confirmed to have died and others injured.
The Met Police said in a statement: "Police were called at approximately 17:28hrs on Thursday, 6 April to reports of a fire at a block of flats in Tollgate Road, E6.
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Firefighters from the London Fire Brigade along Police and Paramedics have been scrambled to a fatal property on Tollgate Road in Beckton East London (UkNewsinPictures)"Police, LAS and LFB are currently at the scene dealing with the fire.
"It is believed that there has been one female fatality and number of others injured. No further details at this stage.
"Enquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
"One male has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident and enquiries are ongoing."
A spokesperson from the London Fire Brigade said: "Firefighters have been called to a flat fire on Tollgate Road in Beckton.
"The first floor and second floors of the residential block are alight. The staircase from the first to the second floor is also alight. The Brigade was called at 5.24pm.
Firefighters from the London Fire Brigade along Police and Paramedics have been scrambled to a fatal property on Tollgate Road in Beckton East London (UkNewsinPictures)"Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from East Ham, Plaistow, Barking and surrounding fire stations are at the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this time."
Images from the scene showed flames bursting through upper floor windows as roads surrounding the building were cordoned off.
Raza Nowsin, 26, Manager at the Lidl across the road said: “There was a bit of smoke and one of my colleagues said, ‘call the police’. As soon as I stepped out [of the shop] that’s what I see - a huge fire.
“It was just on the balcony bits and then the whole house basically. I saw people jumping out the windows from the balcony at the top, people were running around everywhere.
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“They had a mattress there and they were trying to jump on it but some people didn’t get to the mattress.”