London tower block fire 'is suspicious'
- 00:01:34
- ITN
London tower block fire 'is suspicious'
Questions are being asked about whether escape routes and fire prevention measures were "adequate" at a block of flats where fire left six people dead, Harriet Harman has said. Three young children were among those killed in the fire at 12-storey Lakanal Flats, in Camberwell, south London, on Saturday night. Ms Harman, the area's MP, said people were "asking questions" about fire escape routes at the flats. She added: "There will have to be a thorough investigation in to what caused this fire and whether the prevention was adequate. "There are many blocks with one central stairwell and questions will have to be asked about what happens when a fire breaks out." Several residents said the complicated layout of the flats made the evacuation difficult while onlookers described seeing those trapped inside screaming for help. A six-year-old child, a woman in her thirties and another adult, died inside the building, emergency services said. A three-week-old baby, a seven-year-old and an adult woman were pronounced dead in hospital after the blaze. Chief Supt Wayne Chance said the fire started inside a fourth floor flat and is being treated as suspicious. Thirty people were rescued from the block in Sceaux Gardens, off Dalwood Street, and 15 people were taken to hospital on Friday, including three who died. Eleven people have been released and one man, a firefighter, remains in hospital but his condition is not thought to be serious, Mr Chance added. The bodies of three of those killed remain inside the block which is being treated as a crime scene until the cause of the fire is determined, he said. The victims came from a "number of families" and were still being identified. Mr Chance said officers were dealing with a "large and complex scene" and added: "The investigation is likely to take some time."
ITN | July 4, 2009
