- A suspected arson attack at a restaurant in Gants Hill, Ilford has left five people hospitalised, three of them in critical condition.
- Emergency services responded to the fire on Woodford Avenue around 9 p.m. Friday night.
- Firefighters rescued five individuals from the building, while nine others escaped before crews arrived.
- The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no arrests have been made.
A quiet Friday night in east London turned into a scene of chaos and horror after a fire tore through a restaurant on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill, Ilford — leaving five people hospitalised and three fighting for their lives.
The blaze, which broke out around 9 p.m., triggered a swift response from police, paramedics, and firefighters. Flames engulfed part of the ground floor, and by the time they were extinguished at 10:30 p.m., the damage had already been done.
Three women and two men were injured in the fire. All five were pulled from the building by fire crews and rushed to hospital. A witness described one of the victims as having burns across his entire body.
Edward Thawe, a hospital porter who lives nearby, said he heard screaming and stepped outside with his son to help. What he saw, he said, was “horrible” — the kind of scene that stays with you.
About nine others managed to escape the building before emergency crews arrived.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police are now investigating the fire as a suspected arson attack. No arrests have been made, but authorities say locals should expect a heightened police presence in the area.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who also serves as MP for Ilford North, publicly thanked emergency responders for their swift action.
As investigators work to piece together what happened, the community is left reeling — and hoping for answers.
