A police cordon remains in place on a busy Newcastle road this afternoon after emergency services were called to a fire at a nearby commercial property.
Shortly after 10am this morning, police, fire crews, paramedics and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNASS) were called to Stamfordham Road in Westerhope, Newcastle. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) were on the scene in four minutes and administered emergency first aid to two people outside of the building.
Four people were transported to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), including two with serious injuries. And forensic officers were later seen investigating the area inside the cordon, where debris lay in the road.
Read more: Newcastle Aldi set to move after more than 20 years in 'outdated' Westerhope store
Shocked residents said they heard shouting and witnessed a "man on fire" lying in the road. One resident told ChronicleLive: "We heard screaming and footsteps and saw a man lying in the road. There was people trying to help."
Another claimed they witnessed a passing lorry driver jump out of their vehicle and use a fire extinguisher on a person lying in the road. They added: "The lorry driver was the first one there trying to help. He'd grabbed a fire extinguisher from the lorry and was trying to help a man who was on fire in the road. Lots of people quickly came to help."
North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) confirmed that three emergency ambulances, one clinical team leader and two Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles attended the scene. The air ambulance was also dispatched before the patients were taken to hospital via road.
Northumbria Police said officers are currently treating the incident as arson, however an investigation is ongoing. Officers remain in the area and are carrying out door-to-door enquiries.
Another resident told ChronicleLive: "I've lived in the area for over 40 years and I've never experienced anything like this. It's normally a quiet village."
She added that she heard shouting and looked outside to see someone lying in the road on fire but had to look away due to the shock. She added that people were already helping the man.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "At 10.05am today we were alerted to a report of a fire at a premises on Stamfordham Road, Newcastle. Officers and emergency services attended the scene and four people were taken to hospital, two suffering from serious injuries.
"An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched and at this time officers are treating it as suspected arson. The fire has since been extinguished but a cordon remains in place and additional officers remain in the area, carrying out door-to -door enquiries and offering reassurance to residents.
"Enquiries are on-going into the incident and anyone with any CCTV footage or information is asked to dial 101 or report via our website’s ‘Tell us Something’ function, quoting log NP-20230523-0301."
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) spokesperson said: "We received our initial call at 10.05am and immediately deployed our crews to the incident. Our first appliance was on scene in just four minutes and upon arrival they found a commercial premises on fire.
"We administered emergency first aid to two people already outside of the building and immediately began work to extinguish the fire. In total three appliances attended the scene and the fire was fully extinguished a short time later.
"A cordon is in place in the area and we will support Northumbria Police with their investigation into the circumstances around the incident."
A North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) spokesperson said: "We were called at 10:03am to a fire at a retail premises on Stamfordham Road, Westerhope. We sent three emergency ambulances, one clinical team leader and two Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles.
"Two patients have been transported to the Royal Victoria Infirmary."
The Great North Air Ambulance Service also attended the scene this morning, with a doctor and paramedic assessing injuries. They confirmed that a patient was taken to hospital via road.
Read next:
