Two In Hospital After East London Fire

13 April 2013, 12:42 | Updated: 13 April 2013, 12:47

Fire crews have been tackling a serious house fire on Romford Road in Forest Gate.

It broke out in the early hours of this morning.

The roof was destroyed in the blaze and a large part of the ground and first floors of the property were damaged by the fire.

The building is believed to have been disused and it's thought people may have been using it as a squat.

Firefighters rescued a man from the rear of the building and another man escaped before the Brigade arrived.

Both men were taken to hospital.

There were unconfirmed reports that a further four people might have been trapped in the building, but after extensive searching no other people were found to be involved.

Station Manager Daniel Alie said:

"The fire caused severe damage to the house and the roof was destroyed. Crews rescued a man from the rear of the house using a ladder. Both men have been taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. Due to the reports that other people might be trapped, our fire crews performed an extensive search of the building, and fortunately have confirmed that no one else was involved. Our fire investigation unit is now working to find out what caused the blaze."

There were around 60 firefighters and officers at the scene.