Three people are in a life-threatening condition after a suspected arson attack at a restaurant in Ilford, east London, police said.
Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the scene in Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill, at about 9pm on Friday.
Part of the ground floor was damaged by fire and crews rescued five people from the restaurant, while nine others got out beforehand, London Fire Brigade said.
Police outside the restaurant in Gants Hill (Helen William/PA)
Five people – three women and two men – were injured in the incident. They were treated at the scene by paramedics and were taken hospital where they remain.
Three of the five are in a life-threatening condition, the Metropolitan Police added.
No arrests have been made.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated by firefighters and the Met.
A local resident described the aftermath of the suspected arson attack.
Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the scene in Woodford Avenue (Helen William/PA)
Hospital porter Edward Thawe, 43, stepped outside his nearby home with his 12-year-old son to see if he could help after hearing screaming.
The police and ambulance were already at the scene, which Mr Thawe described as “horrible” and “more than scary and the sort of thing that you don’t want to look at twice”.
He said he thought one man who was on the street and a woman who was also outside may have been customers.
Mr Thawe added that the man’s “whole body was burnt”, including his shirt, but he was still wearing his trousers.
Another Ilford resident, who did not want to give his name, said he came outside after hearing screaming and the sound of emergency service sirens in the street.
He said he saw three injured people being doused by the emergency services.
He said the people were “severely burned” and he saw they were being given oxygen.
He added: “I can only imagine the pain they were going through.”
“I came down because there were so many police and ambulance sirens and when I open the doors there were lots of lights flashing and I could see the scene. I could not sleep properly last night over it. It was just absolutely horrible situation.”
Uniformed officers guarded the police cordon that was in place on Saturday as forensic officers in protective clothing examined the scene.
The taped cordon stretched from outside the shop on local high street which faces on to a busy main road and on to the pavement.
A trail of what appeared to be bloodstained footsteps along the pavement was spotted by a forensic officer.
A number of items were also bagged up in clear plastic carriers outside the shop.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, of the Met’s Central Specialist Crime North unit, said: “We understand this incident will cause concern within the community. My team of specialist detectives are working at speed to piece the incident together.
“Locals can expect to see a large police presence in the area. If you have any concerns, please speak to those officers on the ground.”
Part of the restaurant’s ground floor was damaged by fire and five people were rescued (Helen William/PA)
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and paramedics from our hazardous area response team. We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.
“We treated five people for burns and smoke inhalation. We took two patients to a major trauma centre and three others to local hospitals.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.02pm to reports of a fire at a restaurant on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill.
“Part of the ground floor restaurant was damaged by fire. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued five people from the restaurant. They were all taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. Around nine further people were able to leave the restaurant before firefighters arrived.
“The brigade’s control officers received seven calls about the fire and mobilised crews from Ilford, Hainault, Leytonstone and Woodford fire stations to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 10.32pm.
“The cause of the fire is being investigated by the brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is the MP for Ilford North, posted on X saying: “Huge thanks to @metpoliceuk @LondonFire @Ldn_Ambulance for their response to a serious incident on Gants Hill/Woodford Avenue this evening.
“Please avoid the area for now. Further updates will follow from @RedbridgeLive and emergency services.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Met on 101, quoting 7559/22AUG. If you wish to remain anonymous, speak with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
