TWO PEOPLE HAVE died following a suspected gas explosion and building collapse in Southall, London. 

London Fire Brigade was called to the incident on King Street at 6.38am. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighers attended the scene. 

In the initial stages of the incident, firefighters rescued four adults and one child at the rear of the property using a ladder. 

A further 14 adults and two children self evacuated from surrounding properties. 

London Fire Brigade has this afternoon confirmed that two people have died at the scene of the incident. 

Station Commander Paul Morgan said: “It has been a painstaking and protracted incident with firefighters working systematically to stabilise the building and search for people involved.

“Operations have been concluded for the evening and will restart in the morning.

“The explosion caused substantial damage to the shop and structural damage throughout.”

Residents near the scene of the suspected gas explosion said their homes “shook” at around 6.30am on Wednesday.

Nurmila Hamid, 38, said she felt the blast as she was getting her children ready for school.

She said: “The house shook, and I turned to my husband and said ‘what is that?’

“And he said ‘it’s a blast’ and he went to look after taking the children to school – he said it was at a phone shop.”

Police have cordoned off either end of King Street as emergency teams work to recover anybody who might be in the shop affected and surrounding buildings.

With reporting by Press Association