An explosion that ripped through a block of flats in Scotland has left one man dead and several injured.
Fire and emergency service crews were called to a block of flats in the town of Alloa in Clackmannanshire around 6pm after reports of an explosion.
One man, who was inside the Kellie Place property at the time, was killed in the blast.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, and has not been formally identified.
Three other people from the same block of flats were taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary for treatment to minor injuries.
Image: The explosion prompted a multi-agency response in Alloa
The explosion prompted Police Scotland to declare a major incident and close a number of roads to allow for the multi-agency response.
Sergeant Neill Drummond said: “We are still working to establish the full circumstances of what happened at this property, however, we can confirm that one male has passed away.
Image: Gas and electricity workers secure the facilities
“Our enquiries to confirm his identity and provide his next of kin with all the necessary support they may require are ongoing.
“We are grateful to the local community for their continued co-operation and support of our investigation, and we’ll provide more information in due course.”
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In an update just before 11pm on Sunday, police said road closures were being lifted, but further gas and electrical work on the building may need to happen.
Alloa Town Hall was opened as a respite centre for occupants of the flats while maintenance work was ongoing.
Video given to Sky News shows terrified residents at a tower block on fire in east London appearing to have their escape blocked by a locked gate.
More than 80 people were evacuated and two taken to hospital after the fire broke out in the building in Dagenham in the early hours of Monday morning.
A mother-of-two told Sky News earlier this week the escape was shut – and footage from within the building shows a fire burning as someone shouts “open the f*****g gate”.
“They were fully aware of the fire safety issues: how the building’s fire alarm system failed to go off, denying us the critical warning we needed,” a spokesperson for the residents said.
“The fire escape route which should have been our lifeline was padlocked shut… the multiple layers of management from landlords to agencies utterly failed to protect us.”
Image: One person could be heard shouting ‘open the gate’
Image: The fire seen by evacuated residents from outside
Residents claim they had raised concerns about fire safety measures in place and say the process of removing the cladding from their building had been delayed.
Fire crews on the scene saw “burning cladding falling from the building”, according to the Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack.
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Image: Firefighters on the scene
It comes as the London Fire Brigade acknowledged there are known issues around London, with more than 1,000 buildings needing urgent remedial work.
‘Dog saved my life’
Some residents believe they’re lucky to be alive.
Image: Jlek said the dog woke him up – not the alarm
“The dog saved my life. It started barking. No alarm in this building. Nothing. If the dog hadn’t started barking I’d be dying,” one resident called Jlek told Sky News.
Dagenham Council said they will continue to support residents and have provided emergency housing.
Read more: Bride whose dress was destroyed in fire gets replacement Tower block was in the middle of having cladding replaced
“We will continue to press Block Management UK Ltd to meet their obligations to residents. We will also look to recover costs from responsible parties,” a spokesperson added.
Block Management, which manages the building, has not responded to a request for comment.
Eyewitness: The time for answers will come, but help is more urgent
By Matthew Thompson, home and political correspondent, reporting from Dagenham for Sky News
As we arrived first thing this morning, the fire was smouldering, but it was a mere shadow of the inferno that had engulfed the building a few hours before.
Many residents fled with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
Those who have nowhere else to go have been moved to a leisure centre a mile or so away.
There, amid a mass of water bottles, foil blankets and plastic plates, families are huddled, shell-shocked, and facing an uncertain future.
Drilon Nezaj, carrying his 17-month-old daughter in his arms, told me his flat was directly above the source of the fire.
He’d been at a friend’s house for dinner when the baby had fallen asleep, so they decided to stay the night. “She saved our lives,” he said.
Another woman, Kasia, said she awoke in the night to “flames climbing up to our balcony”.
She and her partner got out, with their dog. But fighting back tears, she told me her flat is “all gone. The only thing I can think of is we’re safe. The rest can be replaced. We got out, luckily.”
The building itself has known fire safety issues.
It was in the process of having dangerous flammable cladding removed when the fire broke out.
There may well be a time for recriminations.
But for now, there are scores of people, many with young children, who need help, and somewhere to sleep.
More than 200 firefighters are responding to a blaze in Dagenham, east London, and two people have been taken to hospital.
A “significant search and rescue operation” is under way as more than 100 people, including children, have been evacuated.
The London Fire Brigade said the building, which they described as a mixed-use residential and commercial building, was known to have “a number of fire safety issues”.
Image: Firefighters tackling the blaze overnight. Pic: UKNIP
Image: Pic: UKNIP
A planning application from 2023 shows the building was covered in “non-compliant” cladding.
The scaffolding surrounding the building was in place to remove the cladding when the fire broke out.
Plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky as 40 fire engines and 225 firefighters responded.
Emergency services were called around 2.44am and the first crews arrived at the tower block within five minutes.
Four patients were treated at the scene, and two were taken to hospital, the London Ambulance Service said.
The entire building was affected by the fire, including the scaffolding surrounding it and the roof.
The cause of the fire remains unknown but a major incident has been declared.
Image: Pic: UKNIP
Dinesh Raj’s daughter was at a sleepover in the building with a friend, when the blaze broke out.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Raj said: “I got a call around 3am, so I came and picked them up.
“I managed to take my daughter and my friends to my home. They’re all safe.
“I think they started smelling smoke around 3am, and learned there was a fire.
“They had a six-month baby as well, so they managed to grab the baby and my daughter and get out the building.
“I think the majority [of residents] managed to step out before the fire started spreading.
“But everything they have is back in the building and we have no clue what happened.”
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Image: Dinesh Raj, speaking to Sky News
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1:44
‘Major incident’ declared after tower block fire
The fire is producing heavy smoke and locals are advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “A full simultaneous evacuation of the building was immediately carried out and a significant search and rescue operation is under way.
“The Brigade’s Control Officers have taken 16 calls to the fire, including successfully giving vital fire survival guidance to a number of people.
“We are also using new equipment such as drones and our 64-metre turntable ladders and 32-metre turntable ladders to provide incident commanders with a vantage point for assessing the scene.
“They are also being used as water towers to deliver water on to the fire from above.”
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The London Ambulance Service was called to the incident at 2.52am.
They sent a large number of resources to the scene, including members of the hazardous area response team and an air ambulance.
Image: The scene on Monday morning. Pic: UKNIP
Image: Pic: UKNIP
Image: Smoke continued to billow into the sky even as the fire was slowly brought under control
Emergency services maintained a large presence at the scene later into Monday morning.
A rest centre has been set up in the Becontree Heath Leisure Centre.
Local MP Margaret Mullane said injuries from the fire were “minimal” and that she would visit the rest centre later in the day.
Pockets of fire could still be seen burning on the roof of the building later into Monday morning.
A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 57-year-old man fell from a balcony of a tower block.
Police said the man died in hospital after falling from the fourth floor of Black Friar Court in Salford.
Officers were called at just after 8.40pm on Sunday to reports a man had fallen from a balcony.
A 37-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman have been arrested and remain in custody for questioning, police said.
Officers said the investigation was in the “initial phases” and appealed for members of the public “who may have been in the area, or at the address” to come forward.
Detective Inspector David Ogden said: “We know the community will be concerned about this tragic death, and we share their concern.
“We’re appealing to anyone who has not yet spoken to us.
“Please don’t assume that what you know is already known to us.
“The smallest piece of information may be crucial to our investigation and towards getting answers for this man’s family.”
A woman has died after plunging from a window at a block of flats in North Ayrshire.
Emergency crews were alerted to the fall in Warrix Avenue, Irvine, at around 12.55pm on Thursday.
A 45-year-old woman was airlifted to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where she later died.
Police Scotland said the woman’s next of kin have been made aware and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
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A force spokesperson added: “Enquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances and anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Police Scotland.”
Around 125 firefighters are tackling a fire in a block of flats in west London.
Twenty fire engines responded to a report this afternoon of a blaze on Elm Road, Wembley.
London Fire Brigade says part of the building’s roof is alight.
The block and surrounding buildings have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, the brigade says.
Image: Emergency services attended to the scene. Pic: Harrow Online
Image: A view of Elm Road: Pic: Google Street View
It added that nearby residents are being advised to keep their doors and windows shut to stay safe from any smoke in the area.
A statement said: “People are advised to avoid the area as crews respond.
“One of the Brigade’s 32 metre turntable ladders is being used as a water tower to help extinguish the fire.
“Control Officers have taken eight calls reporting the fire, with the first received at 16.42. Firefighters from Wembley, Park Royal, Northolt and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.”
A major incident has been declared in Bristol as residents in a tower block have been told to leave their homes “immediately” due to a “risk to the structure”.
The city council has asked all tenants at Barton House, in the Redfield area, to leave “as a precautionary measure” while more in-depth inspections are carried out.
About 400 people reportedly live in the building.
Surveys at three of the 98 flats found there is a “risk to the structure of the block” in the event of a fire, explosion or large impact.
Anyone who can stay with relatives or friends is being urged to do so, while the remainder will be housed in a temporary rest centre at the Tawfiq Masjid and Centre mosque where beds, food and drink will be available.
More rest centres are “in the process” of being set up, but it is not known how long residents will have to be away from their homes.
A council statement said: “The length of this temporary arrangement is dependent on a further survey of the building, which is being arranged to happen as soon as possible.
“All tenants will be kept regularly informed of progress and any updates on support arrangements.”
The council also said there is “no evidence” to “suggest there is any immediate risk to health and life”.
The statement added that Barton House is the oldest of the tower blocks in the council housing estate, with building work completed in 1958.
“The design and age of Barton House make it unique within the council’s housing estate. There is currently no evidence to suggest the issues identified within Barton House are present elsewhere, although the council is regularly surveying its estate as it works to meet all regulatory requirements,” it said.
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Kemi Badenoch has signed off UK membership to a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc.
The business and trade secretary signed the accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in New Zealand on Sunday.
The move brings British businesses a step closer to being able to sell to a market of half a billion people.
Britain is the first new member to join the bloc – comprising Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam – since its formation in 2018.
The UK is also the first European nation to gain entry.
It represents Britain’s biggest trade deal since Brexit, cutting tariffs for UK exporters to a group of nations which – with UK accession – will have a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of £12trn, accounting for 15% of global GDP, according to officials.
The signing is the formal confirmation of the agreement which was reached in March after two years of negotiations.
Britain and the other 11 CPTPP members now begin work to ratify the deal, which in the UK will involve parliamentary scrutiny and legislation.
Officials believe it will come into force in the second half of 2024, at which point the UK becomes a voting member of the bloc and businesses can benefit from it.
Image: Badenoch in Auckland
Before putting pen to paper in Auckland alongside ministers from CPTPP nations, Ms Badenoch said: “I’m delighted to be here in New Zealand to sign a deal that will be a big boost for British businesses and deliver billions of pounds in additional trade, as well as open up huge opportunities and unparalleled access to a market of over 500 million people.
“We are using our status as an independent trading nation to join an exciting, growing, forward-looking trade bloc, which will help grow the UK economy and build on the hundreds of thousands of jobs CPTPP-owned businesses already support up and down the country.”
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To coincide with the signing, the government released figures showing that CPTPP-headquartered businesses employed one in every 100 UK workers in 2019, amounting to more than 400,000 jobs across the country.
Image: Kemi Badenoch with New Zealand MP Rino Tirikatene and Natalie Black, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner Asia Pacific
While Britain already has trade agreements with the CPTPP members apart from Malaysia and Brunei, officials said it will deepen existing arrangements, with 99% of current UK goods exports to the bloc eligible for zero tariffs.
Dairy producers will gain export opportunities to Canada, Chile, Japan and Mexico, while beef, pork and poultry producers will get better access to Mexico’s market, according to officials.
But critics say the impact will be limited, with official estimates suggesting it will add just £1.8bn a year to the economy after 10 years, representing less than 1% of UK GDP.
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy last month said the Tories were being “dishonest” by claiming CPTPP membership would make up for lost trade in Europe.
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20:52
Badenoch dismisses Brexit criticism
Officials herald the CPTPP as an alternative to the beleaguered World Trade Organisation in an increasingly fragmented international trading system.
HSBC chief executive Ian Stuart said: “The UK’s formal accession to CPTPP marks a significant milestone for UK trade, enabling ambitious British businesses to connect with the world’s most exciting growth markets for start-ups, innovation and technology.”
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Some of the everyday items from CPTPP nations that will become cheaper for UK consumers thanks to the deal include Australian Ugg boots, kiwi fruits from New Zealand, blueberries from Chile and Canadian maple syrup, according to the Institute of Export and International Trade.
After the UK’s accession, attention may shift to other potential new members, with applications by China and Taiwan likely to cause tensions.
Kemi Badenoch will be appearing on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme on Sky News from 8.30am this morning.
The government has been given the go-ahead to make an appeal to the Supreme Court in a bid to get the Rwanda deportation policy off the ground.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that plans to send asylum seekers to the east African nation were unlawful, overturning an initial High Court ruling giving the plan the green light.
Rishi Sunak said at the time he “fundamentally” disagreed with the Court of Appeal ruling.
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The Court of Appeal has now granted permission for the government to challenge their decision, and has also allowed one of the asylum seekers in the case to dispute part of last month’s ruling as well.
Last month’s ruling at the appeals court was made two to one by a panel of three judges, with Sir Geoffrey Vos and Lord Justice Underhill finding “deficiencies” in Rwanda‘s asylum system meant asylum seekers deported there could be returned to their countries of origin and face persecution.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett said he did not accept that migrants would be at risk of removal to their home countries from Rwanda – but it is not a safe place for them to be housed while their asylum claims are processed.
He said: “The result is that the High Court’s decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed, and unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum process are corrected, removal of asylum seekers will be unlawful.”
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This is the latest step in the long-running legal wrangling over the policy, first introduced when Boris Johnson was prime minister and Priti Patel was home secretary.
The Court of Appeals decided sending anyone to Rwanda would constitute a breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, “with which parliament has required that the government must comply”.
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2:18
June: Rwanda policy ruled ‘unlawful’
As well as Mr Sunak strongly disagreeing with the judiciary, Home Secretary Suella Braverman also voiced her support.
She said she remained “fully committed” to the policy.
Read more: Cost of sending each migrant to countries such as Rwanda Asylum seekers are going ‘underground’ in fear of being deported to Rwanda
The government wants to send tens of thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles away to Rwanda as part of a £120m deal agreed with the government in Kigali last year.
However, no one has made the journey yet.
The first flight was stopped at the eleventh hour in June last year after an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
