Southall: Two people killed in shop gas explosion
- Published
Two people have been killed in a suspected gas explosion at a shop in west London, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.
The blast happened in a hair salon and mobile phone shop on King Street, Southall, just after 06:30 BST.
Four adults and a child are known to have been rescued by firefighters.
Earlier, the Metropolitan Police said one man was found injured. The blast is not being treated as suspicious, the force said.
Station Commander Paul Morgan said: "Our crews continue to search the property using specialist equipment including the use of urban search-and-rescue dogs.
"We can confirm that sadly two people have died at the scene.
"The explosion caused substantial damage to the shop and structural damage throughout.
"It is a painstaking and protracted incident with firefighters working systematically to stabilise the building and search for people involved."
Jatinder Sing, the owner of Dr Phone, said he was in "total shock" when he received a call about the blast.
'Lost everything'
The 36-year-old said: "They have closed off everything. It seems like an explosion of a gas cylinder and there is a flat upstairs and my shop is downstairs.
"I was shocked because my shop looks totally dead, finished and the same with the barber.
"I can't see anything from where I am standing apart from the the shutter and the main door, which is all trashed.
"I have lost my everything. We were struggling from the coronavirus period as well - too much stock in the shop and no sales for a long time so I don't know how we will survive."
At the scene
BBC London's Guy Lynn
I have counted 25 firefighters here sifting through the wreckage on King Street with the police this morning.
The explosion has also shut off a number of streets, with the police on the scene to prevent people approaching the scene.
It is a clear scene of devastation of several shops and flats, which the London Fire Brigade have called a "structural collapse". Sadly, it looks as though the explosion may have claimed a few lives.
A further 14 adults and two children evacuated themselves from nearby properties after the blast.
LFB was called at 06:38 and sent about 40 firefighters to the scene. It advised people to avoid the King Street area while the search continues.
A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics had treated and discharged one person.