A family member has paid tribute to a “beautiful, funny and caring” seven-year-old boy who was killed in an explosion at a property in Newcastle.
The boy has been widely named locally as Archie York.
Police have revealed that the body of a man named Jason Laws, believed to be in his 30s, was also found in debris from the blast. The discovery means that two people died in the incident.
The seven-year-oldhad been pronounced dead at the scene after the blast at residential properties in the early hours of Wednesday.
Abbie York, the boy’s aunt, told the BBC that Archie was “a loving boy, with a cheeky little grin on his face all of the time”.
She said Archie’s family had moved to the property shortly after was born and he enjoyed playing the violin and was learning to swim.
On Facebook, she described him as “the most beautiful, funny, and caring little boy”.
She added: “Archie was my nephew and the most beautiful, funny and caring little boy and his name deserves to be shouted from the rooftops! We all love you so much little man, you didn’t deserve this.”
The man found the following day has been named locally as Laws. His brother Joseph paid tribute to him on Facebook, saying “you have been the best big brother I could ask for”, and described him as the “best dad in the world”.
Northumbria police said the body of a man was found by emergency crews as they searched debris. A spokesperson said: “Formal identification for both those who tragically died is yet to take place.”
The cause of the blast, said by one witness to sound like a gunshot, has yet to be established but specialist gas engineers were sent to the scene on Wednesday. Three houses, believed to be six flats, were destroyed.
Footage on social media showed flames billowing into the night sky, while drone pictures on Wednesday morning showed the extent of damage caused to the properties.
On Thursday, Supt Darren Adams said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the two people who have tragically lost their lives. Specialist officers are supporting their loved ones and we would urge everyone to respect their privacy at this time.”
Five adults and a child were also taken to hospital with varying degrees of injuries, police said, with all but one of those people discharged. That person, a man in his 30s, remains in hospital and is described as being in a critical but stable condition.
Police said there were no reports of missing people related to the incident and that the investigation into the cause of the explosion was continuing, with cordons expected to be in place for some time.
Adams urged people not to speculate about the cause of the blast. “We are working with our partners as our investigation continues,” he said. “For a number of reasons this is complex and time-consuming, not least due to the level of damage which has been caused.”
Andy Riches, a family friend of some of the victims, said there had been a “devastating explosion”, adding: “They have lost everything.”
