An 11-year-old girl has died and several other people have fallen ill after apparent pest control chemicals were found at a block of flats in east London.
Paramedics called in police on Saturday afternoon after reports of a girl unresponsive in a flat in Shadwell. She was taken to hospital and died a short time later.
Other residents in the building reported feeling unwell and three people were taken to hospital, where they remained on Sunday, the Met said.
It said the girl’s death was being treated as unexplained and a postmortem examination would be carried out.
London fire brigade said it was called to the scene just after 7pm and discovered a number of chemicals believed to be used in pest control.
The mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, said: “My thoughts and those of TH councillors are with the family and others in Sutton Street following the chemical incident in Nida House, E1, in which a young girl lost her life, others evacuated with some in hospital. We will support the families. A terrible tragedy.”
The MP for Poplar and Limehouse, Apsana Begum, tweeted: “My thoughts and prayers are with her and her loved ones. I am following up to support constituents including everyone who was evacuated and in care of Tower Hamlets council.”
A Met spokesperson said the block’s residents had been evacuated from the building as a precaution and were being looked after by the local authority.
They said the chemicals would “be safely removed and an investigation will be carried out to determine how they came to be in the building. Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”
