The mother of a four-year-old girl killed in a house explosion has accused a gas company of negligence, after residents previously warned of a potential leak in the street.
Sana Ahmad’s daughter Sahara Salman died just a month before her fifth birthday, in the blast that wrecked their home in Thornton Heath, south London, just after 7am on Monday.
Ms Ahmad, 28, says her world has been “torn apart” by the tragedy and is demanding answers over how it could happen.
Three other people were injured, and the gas company says it is still investigating the cause.
In her first comments since the tragedy, Ms Ahmad told the Evening Standard her daughter was “the most incredible little girl”, adding: “The world is so cruel. We have lost our daughter who is our pride and our joy.”
“This world didn’t deserve somebody who was so special,” she continued. “It’s our loss. She was the most amazing thing to ever walk this planet.”
When the explosion happened Ms Ahmad had been on the phone to her mother, who was due to collect the children.
“I’m on the phone and within seconds she heard me scream because there was a big bang,” she said.
“I had two children in my room and then Sahara in the box room, and my eldest in the room towards the garden. My instinct was to grab all my children but as I’d gone to the hallway Sahara’s room had collapsed already. There was no sign of me even getting to her.
“The explosion was so bad that it almost felt like missiles were dropped on the properties. That’s how quickly the building started to fall down.”
Ms Ahmad said that her father and uncle broke down the door to get into the property and pulled the other children to safety.
The grieving mother explained said she had called the gas company on 30 July, more than a week before the blast.
Southern Gas Networks sent someone to investigate a leak the following day but she said she was told there were no major issues.
Residents said engineers had been working in the street following reports of a smell of gas, but they had not been seen for a few days.
Ms Ahmad said the “biggest question” she wants answered is “why the gas problem has been neglected for such a long time”.
Neighbours Delroy Simms and Kutoya Kukanda were hailed as heroes for helping rescue the other children after the blast.
Mr Simms said: “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 [gas engineers] all week.
“When I heard the explosion it was like an earthquake. It shook me up, and my house. The shutters on our windows blew off their hinges.”
Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden Siobhan McDonagh says she has written to gas firm SGN, demanding answers.
SGN said in a statement: “We are shocked and saddened by this tragic loss of life and our deepest sympathies are with the family and all those who have been affected.
“Our engineers are assisting the emergency services with the investigation to establish the cause of the explosion.
“We are also on site, liaising with Merton council, providing support and assistance.
“Given the ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment any further at this stage.”
