In the early hours of Friday, a fire at a care home for people with learning disabilities in Chingford was reported to the London Fire Brigade, according to the Evening Standard newspaper.
12 others – eight residents and four carers – managed to escape the fire without injury.
Over 70 firefighters were deployed to tackle the fire, which has since been contained and put out, though there are still some “hot spots.”
“Crews expect to be here into the day, tackling hot spots,” Keith Williams, London Fire Brigade station manager said today.
An investigation to determine the source of the fire is ongoing.
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Local MP Iain Duncan Smith, who formerly served as the Work and Pensions Secretary, visited the scene and praised the work of the emergency services in tackling the blaze.
“One person has died but this terrible tragedy could have been much worse. The fire brigade were here in a flash. Great credit to the neighbor who saw smoke and called the fire brigade. She deserves an award. The loss of life might have been greater. My heart goes out to victims,” MP Iain Duncan Smith said on April 20.
Just a few days prior to this incident, a number of shops were damaged by a fire in the East London area of Peckham.