A four-year-old girl has died and three people are in hospital after a gas explosion destroyed a terraced family home.
Neighbours rushed to help survivors after the blast demolished the house in Thornton Heath, south London, just after 7am on Monday.
Delroy Simms, 62, and Kutoya Kukanda, 50, were hailed as "heroes" after carrying three children out from the rubble.
Mr Simms said: "I was getting ready to go to work when I heard the explosion. 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. I went to the window and saw the devastation."
Galpins road so sad pray for them 🙏🏽 #galpinsroad #thorntonheath pic.twitter.com/V9TK5sdHno
— queenreenthe1st (@queenreen1st) August 8, 2022
It came after residents said they reported a strong gas smell in the area which had persisted for around two weeks.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the cause of the fire and explosion is yet to be confirmed and an investigation is under way. However Ross Garrod, the leader of Merton Council, described it as a gas explosion.
Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were called to the incident. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations were sent to the scene.
Maureen Clare, 74, who lives opposite the two-storey home, said there were four children and a mother who lived there.
"They're very lively kids," she said. "They were always mischievous, happy and bouncing around."
Another neighbour said: "The little girl was very nice. She would wave at you through the window and we would wave back. I'm so sorry for the little girl, she was lovely."
The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she spoke to the mother just after the explosion, saying: "She was shaking and she was in a terrible way." She added that workers had been drilling holes looking for a gas leak in recent days.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said a child was pronounced dead at the scene. Three people were treated and taken to hospital. A fourth person was treated and discharged at the scene.
Around 40 properties were evacuated as a precaution by the London Fire Brigade and a 160ft cordon was in place on Monday night.
Residents said they had reported a gas leak from works on the street to the distribution company SGN.
A spokesman for SGN said on Monday: "Following the explosion in Galpin's Road, Thornton Heath earlier today, our deepest sympathies are with the family of the child who has tragically died, as well as those who have been injured.
"We'd like to reassure everyone that our engineers are working closely with the emergency services to establish the cause of the explosion. Given the ongoing police investigation, it is inappropriate to comment any further at this stage."
