A woman found fatally stabbed at her home in north-east London has been named by police as Annabel Rook.
A man, 44, has been arrested on suspicion of her murder. Rook, 46, was found after a gas explosion a property in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, shortly before 5am on Tuesday.
The Metropolitan police said they believed the incident was “domestic-related”.
According to Rook’s LinkedIn profile, she was a charity worker who had worked with female migrants and child refugees for two decades.
She most recently ran a creative arts organisation called MamaSuze, which works with vulnerable women and children who have experienced forced displacement and gender-based violence.
The police said that despite paramedics’ efforts, Rook was “sadly declared dead at the scene”.
Det Ch Supt Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the area, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this very difficult time.
“Our officers arrested a man on suspicion of murder at the scene and will be conducting interviews as soon as possible to establish the full circumstances that led to Annabel’s death.”
The force said the suspect had been taken to hospital with slash wounds and that he was in a condition that was not life-changing or life-threatening.
Two children aged nine and seven were also taken to hospital as a precaution, but police said they were not believed to have been inside the property at the time of the explosion.
Neighbours described the noise they heard as the explosion tore through the house.
Alun Gordon, a teacher, said he heard a “massive bang” at 4.30am which shook his whole house. “It felt as though a truck had hit it.”
An hour later, a fire broke out on the street, which he said firefighters quickly put out.
Gordon said that he sometimes chatted to Rook, who was “very nice” and friendly. He said his daughter, who regularly babysat Rook’s children, who were pupils at a local school, was very upset.
Another resident on Dumont Road said he heard a crash “like somebody dropped a massive glass cabinet from a crane”.
The man, who did not want to be named, said: “I looked out and saw panes of glass on the floor. You could tell it wasn’t a car window. Eventually I noticed the beam on the bay window was missing and could see some mild smoke coming out of the back.
“People starting arriving and saying to phone the police. There was a guy rushing around, very distraught. He went round the back.”
Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the scene early on Tuesday. Later in the morning, the house, a terrace on the corner of Dumont Road, was surrounded by police, firefighters and gas workers.
The front bay window was completely blown out and debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass was scattered across the street. Road closures remained in place.
A 76-year-old neighbour said: “I was asleep upstairs and heard a sudden bang, then I saw from the curtain all the glass all on the floor. I was worried. Everybody on the street came out in their pyjamas.”
Another neighbour said: “I’m pretty sure it was two bangs I heard. There was lots of glass shattering. I knew it wasn’t a car crashing because it sounded like lots of glasses had been smashed on the floor.”
The Met said it would deploy extra patrols in the area while the investigation continues.
Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting CAD 926/17June, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
