A huge fire broke out a a local primary school in East London yesterday. Thomas Fairchild School in Napier Grove, Hoxton, caught fire around 2pm Thursday. Firefighters battled for hours to tackle the blaze, which caused significant damage to the school.
Eye witness reports say that ground floor and first floor caught fire first. A bigger tragedy was avoided with the school being closed due to the summer holidays. No teachers, students or school personnel were hurt or affected.
The fire was so fierce that specialist firefighters from all over London were called in to support, with fire crews from Kingsland, Stoke Newington, Euston, Clerkenwell, Dowgate, Islington, Holloway, Shoreditch, Shadwell, and Bow all in attendance.
There were approximately 75 firefighters and 15 fire-engines trying to tackle the blaze, made worse by the weather. Wind conditions made it harder for firefighters to bring the flames under control.
Eye witness interview Kirsty Riggs-Long told London Bangla; "I saw clouds of thick dark smoke coming from the rooftops, sirens coming and going. The smoke was moving rapidly across through the streets.
"People were out everywhere watching from windows and the firefighters seemed to be struggling to calm it all down. The fire was visible from inside the building, within classrooms, and also on the roof.
"Fire fighters worked to control the blaze for a few hours, and both adults and children in the area are shocked that their school is destroyed in flames.
"I heard one kid scream "Oh my God, my school, I haven't got a school anymore."
It has not been confirmed whether the fire was the handiwork of arsonists.
Pics: Kirsty Riggs-Long
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