Mother of four-year-old girl killed in gas blast says her ‘world has been torn apart’

The mother of a ‘beautiful’ four-year-old girl who died after a gas explosion tore through her house has told of her heartbreak today as she paid tribute to ‘the most amazing thing to walk this planet’ – before blasting her gas supplier as ‘negligent’ and ‘lazy’ after having raised the alarm over a potential leak some nine days earlier. 

Sahara Salman was found dead a month before her fifth birthday – and just weeks before her first day of school – in the rubble of a destroyed house after the devastating blast in Galpin’s Road, Thornton Heath, south London on Monday. 

Both parents, Sana Ahmad and Syed Muhammad Salman Ilyas, as well as two of her siblings, were lucky to survive the incident and were not seriously injured. 

Speaking today, her mother said her ‘world has been torn apart’, before accusing Southern Gas Networks (SGN) of ‘negligence’ after she allegedly contacted the gas supplier about a suspected leak on July 30, just over a week before the deadly blast. 

Ms Ahmad told the Evening Standard that she was on the phone to her mother at around 7.05am on Monday when there was suddenly a ‘big bang.’ 

‘My instinct was to grab all my children but as I’d gone to the hallway Sahara’s room had collapsed already. There was no sign of me even getting to her,’ she said.

‘The explosion was so bad that it almost fell like missiles were dropped on the properties. That’s how quickly the building started to fall down.

‘Within seconds of me screaming – it was my dad and my uncle who made their way into the property. They had to break down the door to get in and they pulled my children out to safety. My family did everything to help us at that point.’

Ms Ahmad claims her mother contacted SGN at 3.57pm on July 30 complaining of a smell, and that the provider sent someone to investigate the leak the next day. She says she was told there were no major issues. 

According to Ms Ahmad, the worker ‘was not totally sure’ following his inspection and said he would ‘send another guy’ to inspect the home, but that no one showed up. 

She added: ‘The work wasn’t fully carried out. …They did tell us there were loads of little gas leaks – they said that pipes had been leaking but that they were minor leaks.

‘The saddest thing is that we tried to prevent this from happening. The gas people should have ensured the safety of not only us but every single person who lives in that area. Now we’re all suffering – the whole community. And now we all have to live with the trauma of a little girl dying.’ 

A spokeswoman for SGN said on Monday: ‘Our deepest sympathies are with the family of the child who has tragically died as well as those injured.

‘We’d like to reassure everyone our engineers are working closely with the emergency services. Given the ongoing police investigation, it is inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.’

Ms Ahmad said she is now scared to sit in a building ‘without worrying that the ceiling is going to come down.’ 

The explosion in Galpin’s Road, Thornton Heath, near Croydon, left three people seriously injured and tragically killed a four-year-old girl who has now been named as Sahara Salman

A woman lays flowers near Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath. Tributes were placed outside the original police cordon this morning

She demanded to know ‘why the gas problem has been neglected for such a long time’, lamenting that she and her family now have to ‘deal with the trauma of saying goodbye to our four-year-old daughter for the rest of our lives.’ 

The grief-stricken mother said they had ‘so many plans in place’, with Sahara’s fifth birthday coming up and her first day of school in September, for which they had already bought her uniform. 

She said the tragedy could have been avoided ‘if people weren’t being lazy and did their job properly’, before praising her daughter as ‘the most incredible little girl’ and ‘our pride and joy.’ 

She added: ‘This world didn’t deserve somebody who was so special. It’s our loss. She was the most amazing thing to ever walk this planet.’

A family friend previously said the tot was a ‘happy’ and ‘cute’ girl and that the family had been in touch with the gas company for a week before the blast. Neighbours had also called the gas company over fears there could be a leak.

Family friend Thoheed Maricar, 52, said the tragic young girl was one of four children – including an 11-year-old boy who was taken to hospital and another two children who were relatively unharmed the blast.

Mr Maricar said: ‘Yesterday the mum was crying and she was in a horrible situation as she had just lost a baby.

‘I was called up at around 9am yesterday and was told ‘uncle, there has been a big blast at a neighbour’s house’.

‘The mum was saying ‘my third child is missing’ but she couldn’t really talk to me. She was crying and screaming.

‘The girl is a beautiful, cute four-year-old. She was a happy girl. She played around a lot and was very active.

‘I think she had started nursery but I don’t know that for sure.’

Mr Maricar added: ‘The 11-year-old boy is injured but I don’t know his condition or if he is still in hospital.

‘I feel very, very sad about what has happened. It is just a terrible situation.

‘The family had tried to get hold of the gas company a couple of times last week and neighbours had been trying to get hold of the gas company.

‘The mum is working in the NHS as a receptionist in a GP.’

Bunches of flowers and around 10 teddy bears were laid at the scene and tributes were scrawled in chalk across a nearby pavement in dedication to the little girl.

A police cordon was extended at the scene and a further 50 homes were evacuated over fears of another leak in the street, emergency crews and a council spokesperson said yesterday.

A total of 200 people have already had to abandon their properties, with that number set to rise as officers continue to evacuate the community – but councillors have stressed this is a precautionary measure.

The huge blast completely destroyed the house and seriously damaged the surrounding properties

More residents are being evacuated today (pictured) due to fears over another gas leak in the area

The police cordon has doubled in size today, to around 650ft, forcing more residents out of their homes

Barriers are in place on the road and several workers in hi-vis vests with ‘gas’ on the back are working on the site

Employees of Southern Gas Networks, which had been carrying out works in the road at the time of the incident, have been on the scene today

Gas engineers have been working near the scene of an explosion 

Police have been knocking on homes to evacuate the residents over concerns of another gas leak

Flowers and tributes have been left at the junction of Berkshire Way, Croydon, near to where an explosion demolished a home Monday killing a 4 year old girl

A touching letter by a child for the four-year-old girl who died following the explosion Monday

A large pile of rubble in front of where the house was can be seen cordoned off by police tape

A number of children’s toys including teddy bears, a dog and a reindeer have been left as a tribute to the child

The house explosion took place in Thornton Heath, Croydon around 7am on Monday morning

A woman places a bouquet of sunflowers alongside the growing number of tributes on Berkshire Way

Hundreds of families have offered support to those affected including putting clothes on the backs of people who have none. 

The council has said donations can be made at Ascension Church in Pollards Hill.

And it has asked for another evacuation centre to be set up in Croydon to cope with the rising demand from locals.

Merton Council is providing cash payments along with medical and emotional support to residents following the blast, describing the safety and support of residents as its top priority.

Outside Pollards Baptist Church, in Mitcham, council leader Ross Garrod said yesterday: ‘Our thoughts remain with the family of the young girl who tragically lost her life and we are working with emergency services to provide them with all they need now and going forward.’

He added: ‘I want to recognise and thank our fantastic community who have come together tirelessly over the last 48 hours.’

Mr Garrod also described a lingering ‘strong smell of gas’ and said it is understood that leaks ‘may take some days to stop’. 

He also spoke of the council facing ‘real challenges’ when it comes to the insurance companies. ‘Many are refusing accommodation for home owners – this is unacceptable,’ he explained.

A local Labour MP said the gas supplier is facing ‘serious questions’ over the incident at just after 7am on Monday, and why the street was not evacuated before the ‘terrible tragedy’.

Residents have said they could smell gas for ‘at least two weeks’ prior, with many experiencing headaches, dizziness and difficulty breathing in that time. They said neighbours had called gas engineers several days before,  one told how the ‘potent’ stench felt like it was a ‘timebomb’ waiting to go off.

Employees of Southern Gas Networks, who had been carrying out works in the road at the time of the incident, have been pictured at the scene today.

A Galpin’s Road resident of 58 years, Bernadette, 87, said she last saw the young girl playing in her garden the day before the blast, and knows her grandmother. Speaking alongside her grandson, Callum, 20, Bernadette told the PA news agency: ‘I saw her playing in the garden the day before – she was playing with a ball with her little sister.

‘They’re a lovely family, they are always wanting to do something for you, always offering to help.

‘Yesterday when firefighters were still searching the debris, the children’s aunt and grandma brought food out to everybody, even in the middle of their distress.’

Children who live nearby have written touching tributes and toys have been left by the original cordon in memory of the young girl who was found dead in the rubble of the explosion.

Local MP Siobhan McDonagh said she has written to gas company SGN ‘demanding answers’ over the explosion in south London which killed a child on Monday.

The Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden said: ‘Clearly there are lots of questions that need answering: how was this allowed to happen, why weren’t people made aware, and why weren’t they evacuated before the terrible tragedy happened?

‘I want to express my condolences for the families on Galpin’s Street – this should never have happened and we will get to the bottom of it.

‘I’m sorry for the disruption to those who have been displaced.’

There is anger from resident at ‘unanswered questions’, with some people saying they had reported a strong smell of gas in the two weeks beforehand. 

According to residents on the street, engineers had been digging holes along the road in recent days.

Dee Akomanyi, 45, who has lived on the street for around 30 years, said she could smell gas in her house the night before the explosion and said that nothing was done despite reports.

Standing with her 25-year-old daughter Zhane Akomanyi, she said: ‘Last night, I couldn’t sleep, I kept having these flashbacks, it’s traumatising.

‘It’s devastating, I could hear the screams from the parents when it all happened.’

The mother-of-one said she left her house less than 10 minutes before the blast and could smell what she believed to be gas.

She added: ‘Yesterday I left the house at around 6.55am and I smelt gas – it was really strong.

’10 minutes after we left there was an explosion.

‘I could smell this sweet, sulphury stench all through the night, I couldn’t sleep because of it.

‘People were reporting it, but nothing was done, it’s scary.’

Neighbour, Adele, who didn’t want to give her last name, explained she could smell ‘really strong gas’ over the weekend.

The mother-of-two, who lives just a few doors down from the collapsed house, said: ‘The whole house shook, it was a novelty for my kids at the time, but now it’s more of a shock impact for them as reality hit this morning.

‘Other families got off worse than me. We were the lucky ones.

‘We could smell gas really strong on Sunday.

‘I was getting headaches, lots of neighbours said they were dizzy because of it.’

One person said they could still smell gas after the blast, which shattered windows and severely damaged neighbouring properties. 

It has been confirmed that emergency utility repair and maintenance works were being carried out on the road by Southern Gas Networks at the time of the incident, although residents report not seeing any workers for several days before the blast. 

More than 100 people were evacuated to the nearby New Horizon’s Centre on Monday, where they were briefed on the situation by Merton Council officers, the Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade later in the evening.

Some grew agitated and raised their voices as they were told they would not be able to return to their homes and that workers had been unable to turn off the gas.

Reverend Deji Ayorinde, of the nearby Pollards Hill Baptist Church, said: ‘There is anger in the room. There is anger in the community surrounding unanswered questions.’

He said there was anger that no representatives of gas companies were at the briefing to answer questions.

Aerial footage shows debris strewn across the road and pavement, as well as rubble where the terraced house once stood

A left near to the scene in tribute to the four-year-old girl who died in Monday morning’s incident. Officials believe it the blast was a gas explosion

Gas engineers were pictured by a resident working in Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath, south London some time last week

The road is still cordoned off by police, but tributes and messages have been placed by the road 

Flowers and and letters have been left by the cordoned off area in Thornton Heath

A four-year-old girl died after a house collapsed following a huge explosion in Croydon, south London

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Welch, of the London Fire Brigade, gives a statement about the explosion to the press

A 48-year-old, who lives on Galpin’s Road and wished to remain anonymous, also said the gas company not turning up to the community centre to answer questions from residents was ‘disrespectful’.

She said: ‘They have not been here. Everyone is disgusted. It is heartbreaking, it is disrespectful. They owe it to the people who have supported the family.’

When asked about the claims residents could smell gas before the incident London Fire Brigade’s deputy assistant commissioner Richard Welch said yesterday: ‘Unfortunately we can’t say if it’s gas that’s caused it. It will become a police investigation now.

‘We dealt with the emergency phase of the incident and we will be handing it over to local authorities and local police.’

If confirmed to be a gas explosion, it would be the seventh in the last 15 months, with the previous blasts tragically killing four people – including a two-year-old boy, a 44-year-old women, a 79-year-old man and a 91-year-old pensioner. 

While some have been described as ‘accidental gas explosions’, the explosion which killed two-year-old George Hinds in Heysham, Lancashire, in May last year, has seen two people charged over the incident and they will go on trial in October.

The explosion shook homes in the Thornton Heath area of London just after 7am, with the fire and subsequent rescue operation seeing 40 firefighters and six fire engines rushed to the scene supported by police and paramedics.

The blast tore a huge hole in the wall of a neighbouring home, causing serious damage to what appears to be a child’s bedroom with a unicorn hanging from the ceiling

Three people have been hospitalised with potentially life-threatening injuries. One child has died

Debris scattered over a wide area following a suspected gas explosion that has destroyed houses on Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath

The Sun reported that two adults and an 11-year-old boy were rescued from the rubble, before it was tragically confirmed that a four-year-old girl had died.

Southern Gas Networks, which had been carrying out works in the road at the time of the incident, expressed its sympathies and said it is working closely with the emergency services to establish the cause of the explosion.

Two neighbours, Kutoya Kukanda, 50, and Delroy Simms, 62, who have been called have been called ‘heroes’ for rescuing three children from the rubble at around 7am, said they feared a young girl was still trapped inside.

Mr Simms said that Mr Kukanda passed children out to him as bricks were still falling from the structure.

Mr Kukanda, who had a bruise on his shin from a falling brick, said: ‘I heard boom, then I opened the door.

‘I saw smoke, the house had collapsed, and people were screaming inside.

‘I went inside and took the first baby – there were three children.

‘I took one of the children, gave it to him (Mr Simms).

‘The mother was screaming and saying: ‘One of my daughters is still inside’.’

Residents Delroy Simms, 62, (left) and Kutoya Kukanda, 50, said they helped rescued three children from the rubble at around 7am

Following a fire and explosion, approximately 40 firefighters rushed to the scene of a house collapse in Thornton Heath

Residents thought a ‘bomb had gone off’ when the blast happened around 7am Monday

Emergency services at the scene of the completely destroyed house in Croydon

Emergency services at the scene in Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath, south London, with the collapsed house in the background

Si Mahmood, 49, who lives on the street, said: ‘I heard a massive bang which sounded pretty scary. It sounded like thunder. Unfortunately I think it was a gas leak. I saw gas people there doing some work after the explosion and I know there are gas pipes under the street.’

Maureen Clare, 74, said that there were four children and a mother living in the terrace house in Croydon. She said: ‘They’re very lively kids. They were always mischievous, happy and bouncing around.’

Awais Zahir, 26, said: ‘I went to the house and saw the mum come out. She was bleeding from both her hands and trying to look for her kids.

‘She found all but one of her kids.

‘The fire brigade have just told the family she died. She was about four years old.

‘We live opposite the kids’ grandmother. At around 7am I heard the explosion and I assumed it was construction work.

‘I saw the grandmother trying to get to her daughter’s house.

‘A couple of people were gathered around the mum and she was shaking and screaming ‘I can’t find my child.’

‘We know the grandmother as she lives opposite our house. The mum often brings the kids to her mum’s house and you can hear them in the morning.

‘The window of the house that exploded shattered into a field behind it.’

Mr Simms added that the house next door was also damaged, and he saw a man he presumed to be the occupant standing on top of ‘around eight feet of rubble, digging with his hands’ as he searched for his partner.

Mr Simms said: ‘I went and got him a pair of shoes.

‘He said: ‘My wife is still in there.’ Everything was chaotic.

‘He was trying to dig his way down but then the fire brigade came and told him to come down because it might blow again.

‘They told us to get back.’ Mr Simms’ wife, Elene, said: ‘We want to know why the gas board aren’t here. It’s been more than two weeks.’

Charlie Camdell, 36, who lives four doors down from the blast said: ‘Every morning I get up at 5am and I started my normal routine.

‘I was in the front room when the inside of our window shattered.

‘My partner said ‘there has been a gas explosion’ because she had been smelling the gas for a few days.

‘I can’t smell anything at all now.

‘I have seen people maintaining it and they had dug into the road before it.

‘For the last week or so you could really strongly smell gas.

‘Someone was shouting ‘what about my child’ and they were just crying saying ‘they can’t find her body’.’

Britain’s spate of gas blasts: How UK has been rocked by at least seven major residential gas explosions in the last year – claiming four lives

By James Robinson for MailOnline

Birmingham

One woman died and a house was completely destroyed after a massive gas explosion in Birmingham in June.

Doreen Rees-Bibb, 79, died in the blaze on Dulwich Road, Birmingham, on after her partner David Murphy’s home went up in flames.

An investigation found it was caused by an accidental gas leak.

The fatal explosion on Dulwich Road, Kingstanding, in Birmingham, was caused by an ‘accidental and inadvertent ignition of a large escape of gas from a joint in the pipework’ the report said

Tributes have been paid to Doreen Rees-Bibb, pictured, 79, who died in a house explosion in Birmingham on Sunday night when the blast tore through the property – leaving her buried under several feet of rubble

Police, Fire and Health and Safety Executive confirmed the cause was ‘accidental and inadvertent ignition of a large escape of gas from a joint in the pipework.’

Bedford

Less than a month after the explosion in Birmingham, a 44-year-old woman died following a huge gas blast at a block of flats in Bedford.

Reena James lived on the ground floor of the building on Redwood Grove, Bedford, which collapsed after a gas blast started a fire in July.

One man was thrown from the three-storey building by the powerful explosion and others were said to have leapt from a window as fire ripped through the flats.

An aerial view of the building – which was destroyed in the major gas explosion. Flames ripped through the roof and engulfed the block of flats, leaving three people injured. Fire, ambulance, and police services rushed to the scene in Bedford

Reena James, 42, is thought to have been killed when a three-storey building collapsed in Bedford

The blast – which was heard up to half a mile away – sent bricks flying into the air and knocked bystanders off their feet.

Fire chiefs are investigating whether the blast was caused by a resident using a makeshift heating or cooking device or gas bottles as a result of the rising cost of fuel. 

Halifax

A row of terraced houses were destroyed after a gas explosion was triggered by a shed fire in Halifax last month.

Emergency services rushed to Ovenden Crescent, Halifax just before 3.30am on July 12 to reports of a shed on fire which then triggered a devastating gas explosion. 

Six households were evacuated and two people – one male and one female, both in their 50, were seen by medics for smoke inhalation, following the fire and explosion. 

Emergency services rushed to Ovenden Crescent, Halifax just before 3.30am on July 12 to reports of a shed on fire which then triggered a devastating gas explosion

Manchester

A man in his 90s died after a gas explosion in Manchester in April this year.

Emergency services were called to Brownley Road in Wythenshawe, following the explosion.

They found Frank Burton, 91, dead inside a property.

Gas board Cadent said the gas mains and pipes ‘did not contribute to or cause’ the explosion, while police said they were not treating his death as suspicious.

Emergency services were called to Brownley Road in Wythenshawe, following the explosion

His brother said he believed his sibling may have bought an appliance in anticipation of the energy price cap rising.

Sunderland

A huge gas explosion rocked a street in Sunderland in February – causing more than £1.4million in damage.

Two men were rushed to hospital following a blast in Roker which destroyed part of a terrace home in the city.

A huge gas explosion rocked a street in Sunderland in February – causing more than £1.4million in damage

Ian Leneghan, 59, one of the men injured in the incident, later admitted to deliberately causing the explosion, by cutting at a gas cooker hose prior to the explosion.

He pleaded guilty to damaging property reckless as to whether the lives of three people were endangered. He is due to be sentenced.

Heysham

A two-year-old boy toddler died in a gas explosion in Heysham, Lancashire in May last year.

George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, was killed by the blast, which some described like a bomb going off and a ‘thunderbolt’.

Others compared the destruction – with debris scattered in nearby streets and fields – to the aftermath of the Blitz.

A major incident has been declared after a suspected gas explosion reportedly destroyed up to three terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham, Lancashire last night

George Arthur Hinds, aged two years and 10 months, who was killed by a suspected gas explosion in Heysham

His parents, Vicky Studholme and Stephen Hinds, were also injured in the incident. 

Sharon and Darren Greenham, of Mallowdale Avenue, were charged following the explosion.

They pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, damaging property and theft of gas at Preston Crown Court in February this year. They are due to stand trial in October.

Ashford, Kent

A hero father and son saved the lives of three people – including a 99-year-old woman – after racing into a burning row of houses seconds after a gas explosion in Ashford, Kent, in May last year.

Andy and Harry Hodges braved fire and choking smoke to save Ethel Hanford and her 75-year-old son Donald before going next door and plucking 22-year-old Shannon Pankhurst to safety.

A hero father and son saved the lives of three people – including a 99-year-old woman – after racing into a burning row of houses seconds after a gas explosion in Ashford, Kent, in May last year

The pair, who work in construction, were driving past the house in Willesborough in Ashford, Kent, just after 8am when they witnessed the aftermath of the blast, which saw two people airlifted to hospital and a further five hurt

The pair, who work in construction, were driving past the house in Willesborough in Ashford, Kent, just after 8am when they witnessed the aftermath of the blast, which saw two people airlifted to hospital and a further five hurt. 

It is believed a leak from a portable gas heater resulted in the blast which destroyed one house and damaged two more.

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Emergency services at the scene in Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath

London Fire Brigade say four people have been rescued from the scene (pictured)

Around forty firefighters attended the scene and the surrounding area was evacuated after the explosion

Nearby properties on Galpin’s Road (pictured) have been damaged and four people have been rescued 

Richard Welch, London Fire Brigade deputy assistant commissioner: ‘We are working with the local authority to make sure any medication or whatever else is being provided.’

Neighbours said they had reported a strong gas smell two weeks ago and others said they had been feeling dizzy and sick over the last two days.

One person said they were still able to smell gas after the blast which shattered windows and severely damaged neighbouring properties as other houses in the area were also evacuated.

A mother was crying in the street for her son as his bedroom was opposite the completely destroyed house, said one local.

The 25-year-old woman told MyLondon: ‘His mum was out on the street crying ‘My boy, my boy’.

‘They took him to hospital and we’ve heard since that he’s ok.’

She added that a ‘little girl’ and her dad escaped the destroyed house, and that the mother was rescued afterwards.

One resident, who lives on nearby Carisbrooke Road, said: ‘I heard the explosion at 7am, it was just the biggest bang you’ll ever hear.

‘So I went down the road to see what happened this morning and the whole house is gone, people living nearby said all their windows shook.

‘There was police, fire engines, a helicopter going around overhead. There’s not actually a fire from what I saw but you can still really smell gas, even two roads away where I am. They’re evacuating people from the houses nearby as they’re worried about another explosion.

‘There was a little girl of about 10 or 11 stood outside with a blanket bless her, god knows how she got out of that but she’s being treated for burns.

‘They were saying her older brother was still inside but he later got taken out OK I think.’

Dominic Francis, 41, and his partner heard a loud bang this morning, he said: ‘It is the third or fourth house explosion in the UK recently.

‘Something is wrong, I am worried it will happen to us.’

One Facebook user said: ‘I heard it whilst getting ready for work and thought it sounded like an explosion but was hoping I was wrong and that it was at a building site or something.’

Another added: ‘That was one loud bang thought a bomb had gone off’.

Police have evacuated and cordoned off the surrounding area following the explosion

At this time, the cause of the fire and explosion is unknown, but a nearby resident said they could smell gas

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘This morning, alongside colleagues from London Fire Brigade, we attended an incident in Galpin’s Road, Thornton Heath.

‘We treated four people. One was discharged on scene and three others were taken to hospital. Sadly, a child was also pronounced dead at the scene.

‘All London Ambulance Service crews have now been stood down.’

Merton council said in a statement: ‘We are working with London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police following a major incident at Galpins Road in Pollards Hill.

‘Emergency services are on site following a gas explosion at a residential property, at least one property has been destroyed. We are urging people to avoid the area.

‘Firefighters are currently carrying out systematic searches and working to make the scene safe.

‘An evacuation centre has been established at the New Horizons Centre.’

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said in a statement: ‘Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters have been called to a fire and explosion on Galpin’s Road in Thornton Heath.

‘A terraced house has collapsed following an explosion.

‘The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers have taken 13 calls to the incident.

‘The Brigade was called at 0708. Fire crews from Norbury, Mitcham, West Norwood, Woodside and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

‘The cause of the fire and explosion is not known at this time.’