A 16-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder following a suspected arson attack at an Indian restaurant in east London.
Staff and customers were inside Indian Aroma in Woodford Avenue, Gants Hill, at around 9pm on August 22 when three masked males walked in the entrance, prosecutors said.
Petrol was allegedly poured around the premises before it was engulfed in flames, injuring six victims, Croydon Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday.
The Metropolitan Police charged the 16-year-old boy, from Southwark, with six counts of attempted murder and one count of conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.
Two victims remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries following the blaze. Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said a woman was left with 58 burns covering her upper torso, chest, both arms and face, while a man was left in a coma having suffered 53 burns and life-changing injuries.
Another woman has severe burns to her arms and face and suffered difficulties with smoke and heat.
One man was left with non-life-threatening but potentially life-changing injuries, a woman sustained non-life-threatening burns to her arms and face and another male was taken to A&E, Mr Hussain said.
Part of the ground floor was damaged by fire, and crews rescued five people from the restaurant. Nine others got out beforehand, London Fire Brigade said.
The defendant was remanded to youth detention accommodation to next appear at the Old Bailey on October 6.
One witness, Sayed Bokhari, 39, previously told the Standard: “It looked like a scene from Halloween. It was a serious, dramatic thing.”
Mr Bokhari, who has run a business in the area for 15 years, said: “It is scary because we run retail stores which are welcoming customers in.
“The doors are open like the doors of your house. We cannot body check everyone to see if they are safe.”
This comes after two other 16-year-old boys were arrested on Friday 5 September on suspicion of arson with intent to danger life, although they were later released on bail.
Another 56-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life on Sunday 24 August – he was later released on bail said the Metropolitan Police.
