Dagenham fire latest: Everyone accounted for after blaze at east London flats, fire brigade says

Emma Pengelly
BBC News

Let’s return to a story we reported on a little earlier.

Dinesh Raj told the BBC how his six-year-old daughter was staying with his friend’s family when the fire started to spread in a residential building on Freshwater Road, Dagenham. Raj’s daughter, and his friends, were able to make it out of the building safely.

His friend, Karthick Kannaiah, now tells us how he and his wife, Meghana, rushed out of their flat with their six-month-old baby and Dinesh’s daughter after waking to the smell of smoke.

Kannaiah was sleeping when his wife woke him up in shock, saying that there was a fire on the scaffolding outside their building.

Kannaiah tells the BBC they opened their doors and saw their neighbours “rushing towards the stairs”, adding: “It was the most terrifying experience … like a do or die situation.”

The family, who live on the second floor, escaped safely and are now staying with their friend who lives nearby.

Kannaiah shared this video of their experience: