The school girl who died in a fire in Beckton, East London yesterday, has been identified by local sources as “Tiffany”. London Fire Brigade have confirmed that one person was killed in the flat fire on Tollgate Road, which started at around 5:24pm.
The Metropolitan Police later confirmed that the victim was a 14-year-old girl, although her name has not been officially released.
mylondon reports that Tik Tok It has been filled with messages of condolences after the tragic news.
One comment reads: “Tiffany was a beautiful person inside and out. She was fun and loving.”
Another adds: “Oh no. She was so beautiful. RIP.”
The fire vandalized the residential block last night and it was reported that a party was taking place on the property at the time of the fire, although this has not been confirmed.
Firefighters found the 14-year-old victim, believed to be teenager Tiffany, in a second-floor apartment and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Five more people were taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service. Their injuries were not life-threatening and they have since been released from the hospital.
Six fire trucks and 40 firefighters were needed to bring the fire under control as of 6:33 p.m. The fire is being treated as arson. A 16-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident and investigations are ongoing.
Raza Nowsin, 26, who runs a Lidl across from the scene of the fire, said mylondon at the scene last night: “There was a little bit of smoke and one of my colleagues said, ‘call the police.’ As soon as I got out [of the shop] That’s what I saw: a big fire.
“It was only on the balcony parts and then the whole [flat] basically. I saw people jumping out of the windows from the balcony above. People were running everywhere. They had a mattress there and they were trying to jump on it, but some people didn’t make it to the mattress.”
Police remain on the scene on Tollgate Road in Beckton today after yesterday’s fire with photos from the aftermath showing burnt out windows and flowers placed at the scene.
Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, from the Met’s Crime Command, said: “We are in the early stages of our investigation and are still keen to hear from anyone who has information but has not yet spoken to police.”
“I understand the effect such an incident will have on the local community and I reiterate that anyone with concerns should speak to local officials.
“I would like to thank the residents of the immediate area for their cooperation as my team conducts its investigations. Our thoughts are with the family of the victim.”