Three children dead in flats blaze (From Harrow Times)

Three children dead in flats blaze

10:50pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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Six people, including three children, have died in a fire that swept through a block of flats in south London.

A three-week-old baby, a six-year-old and a seven-year-old died along with three adults.

The blaze, in Havil Street, Camberwell, began on the fourth floor of the 12-storey block on Thursday afternoon and "spread rapidly" to the 11th floor, according to London Fire Brigade.

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: "There were six fatalities - three adults and three children. Thirty people were rescued - these 30 people were in immediate peril and were evacuated from the building."

The baby, a seven-year-old and an adult woman were pronounced dead in hospital, the spokesman said.

Three other bodies were found at the scene - a six-year-old child, a woman in her 30s and another adult, he added.

He said the cause of the fire was still being probed and added: "Two specialist fire investigation teams have conducted a preliminary investigation into the cause of the incident.

Unharmed survivors were taken to an emergency centre in a nearby church hall set up by Southwark Council and the British Red Cross, while the injured were taken to three London hospitals.

Labour MP Harriet Harman, whose constituency includes the tower block, said: "It's clearly a very tragic situation and the emergency services are working together. People remain calm but it's a very distressing situation."

Paul Glenny, a firefighter who battled the blaze, said: "I've been in the job for 30 years, and I've never seen anything like it. The hot weather and the fact that people's windows were open made the fire what it was."

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