Thornton Heath gas explosion: One person missing in rubble as three critically injured

A four-year-old girl is feared missing in the rubble of a house in south London that was flattened by a gas explosion, according to neigbours.

Richard Welch, London Fire Brigade deputy assistant commissioner, has confirmed a search is under way to find a missing person while a member of Merton Council at the scene also told the PA news agency he believed a four-year-old girl was still inside.

Four people were rescued from the explosion and subsequent fire on Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath. London Fire Brigade said their crews treated four patients at the scene but three were taken to the hospital in critical condition. One was discharged.

Two neighbours – Kutoya Kukanda, 50, and Delroy Simms, 62 – said they helped rescue three children from the rubble at around 7am, but they also feared that a young girl aged was still trapped inside. They believed the children’s mother had been evacuated.

Several residents also raised concerns for a woman living in the house next door, which was damaged by the blast, after her husband was seen searching for her.

Have you been impacted by the fire? Email if so email thomas.kingsley@independent.co.uk

Neighbours said the house next door had also been badly affected by the blast, which Merton Council has confirmed in a statement was caused by a gas explosion.

It added: “Emergency services are on site following a gas explosion at a residential property, at least one property has been destroyed. We are urging people to avoid the area.

“Firefighters are currently carrying out systematic searches and working to make the scene safe.

“An evacuation centre has been established at the New Horizons Centre.”

Some residents at the cordon said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago, and others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the last two days.

Firefighters were called to the house on Galpin’s Road after 7am on Monday.

Pictures show the collapsed building leaving stark gap in the street of terraced houses after the explosion that a neighbour told local media was caused by “the biggest bang you’ll ever hear”.

People who had been evacuated in their pyjamas told the PA news agency that their windows had shattered early on Monday morning from the force of the explosion.

Mr Simms, dressed in his pyjamas by the cordon, told PA: “I was getting ready to go to work when I heard the explosion.

“I already knew what it was because that gas was smelling all week, really strong. It was giving me a headache yesterday.

“My neighbour has been calling them (gas engineers) all week.”“When I heard the explosion it was like an earthquake,” he said.“It shook me up, and my house. The shutters on our windows blew off their hinges.“I went to the window and saw the devastation.”

Mr Simms said that Mr Kukanda passed children out to him as bricks were still falling from the structure. Mr Kukanda added that he ran into the house where he heard people screaming. He said he rescued a baby first but the mother was screaming that her daughter was still inside.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said in a statement: “Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters have been called to a fire and explosion on Galpin's Road in Thornton Heath.

“A terraced house has collapsed following an explosion and neighbouring properties have also been damaged. Three people have been rescued.

“The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have taken 14 calls to the incident,” the spokesperson continued.

“The Brigade was called at 7.08am. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.”