Three dead after house fire - fourth man fighting for life - probe into how it started

THREE men have died after a house fire in Croydon.

Police officers and London Fire Brigade colleagues are investigating the cause of the blaze in south London.

Officers were called by the London Fire Brigade (LFB) at 10:48pm on Friday, 29 December to the fire at a house in Sanderstead Road, South Croydon. Emergency services attended the location.

Sadly, two men were pronounced dead at the scene, one of whom is believed to be aged in his 40s.

A third man, believed to be aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital where he died on the afternoon of Saturday, 30 December.

Officers are working to confirm the identity of the three men and inform their family.

A fourth and fifth man later self-presented at hospital. One of the men, aged in his 30s, remains in a life-threatening condition. The fifth man has been discharged from hospital.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by LFB and police. The Met’s enquiries are led by detectives from the Met’s South Area CID.

Chief Inspector Imran Asghar of the South Area BCU said: “This is an extremely sad incident, which has led to the deaths of three men, while a fourth man remains in hospital in a critical condition.

“My colleagues have made significant progress towards confirming the identities of the men and providing support to their families. This process is ongoing. At this stage, I understand that the three men who have died were Polish nationals, as are the other two men who attended hospital.

“Enquiries by specialist police and fire investigators are under way to establish the cause of the fire. Anyone with information that may assist is asked to call police on 101, ref 7129/29DEC23.”