A four-year-old girl is missing after a terraced home collapsed following an explosion, according to neighbours. Residents hailed the efforts of two “heroic” men who rescued three children from the destroyed house in Thornton Heath, south London, but fear a girl is still missing in the rubble.
Richard Welch, London Fire Brigade deputy assistant commissioner, has confirmed a search is under way to find a missing person. A member of Merton Council at the scene also told the PA news agency he believed a four-year-old girl was still inside.
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. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said their crews treated four patients at the scene on Galpin’s Road on Thornton Heath, and one was discharged while the other three were taken to hospital.
