Child dies in London hazardous materials incident - investigation underway

Fire crews were called to the property on Tuesday afternoon (Aaron Chown/PA) Aaron Chown

A child has died following a hazardous materials incident at a London flat. Four people, including the child, went to hospital after complaining of a chemical smell at a property on Barking Road in Upton Park, east London.

Emergency services received the first call at 1:18pm on Tuesday. Two adults and two children sought hospital treatment due to the chemical smell emanating from the flat. The child later died in hospital while receiving treatment.

London Fire Brigade evacuated approximately 12 people from surrounding properties as a precautionary measure. Specially trained firefighters conducted a systematic sweep of the affected property, working to detect any hazardous materials present and ventilate the scene.

Investigation Underway

The Metropolitan Police Service launched an investigation into the circumstances, supported by the London Fire Brigade. Firefighters from Poplar, Millwall, Euston and surrounding fire stations attended the scene until 4:23pm.

"Sadly, a child has died following a hazardous materials incident in Newham," the London Fire Brigade said. "Crews were mobilised to a property on Barking Road, Upton Park, after two adults and two children attended hospital complaining about a smell of chemicals in a flat. Sadly, one of the children later died in hospital whilst receiving treatment."

The exact nature of the hazardous materials and the cause of the chemical smell remain unclear as the investigation continues.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).