Stamford Hill explosion: Man arrested over flat fire that killed one

A man was this afternoon being held by police over an explosion and fire that killed a man and left two others fighting for their lives in Stamford Hill on Wednesday.

The fire broke out in a second-floor flat in Wicklow House on the Stamford Hill Estate just after 2.30pm. The arrested man, 28, was taken to an east London police station today. Scotland Yard could not confirm the offence on suspicion of which he was arrested.

A 30-year-old man was taken to hospital with burns, and later transferred to a specialist unit in Essex, but died eight hours later at 10.30pm. A 29-year-old man and another man, 28, were critically injured and initially being treated at an east London hospital, but both have now also been transferred to specialist burns units in Sussex and Essex.

Det Insp Paul Ridley said: “An investigation has been launched to establish the circumstances of this incident.

“I am asking anyone who can provide any further information, or who witnessed the explosion or the immediate aftermath, to contact my investigation team.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Hackney CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.