A call was received at 18:01 on Thursday 4th August advising of an explosion Bentworth Court, Granby Street, Bethnal Green, London, E2 6D. London Borough Tower Hamlets (LBTH) attended the site with Tower Hamlets Homes (THH) and set up an emergency centre to support residents at Saint Matthew’s Church, which saw approximately 145 residents pass through.
The council’s emergency team were on site assisting, this included the Mayor, Lutfur Rahman and ward councillors, who left the site at 4am. All residents from the block, plus properties 41-57 on Saint Matthew’s Row, were evacuated. As a result, the council secured temporary hotel accommodation for residents, including transport and breakfast.
The emergency services currently have control of the block so they can investigate the fire. This is unlikely to change until the end of this week when we expect that the building will be handed over to THH.
Until then, no further access is possible to Bentworth Court due to safety issues. Once THH has control of the site, we will assess the damage and carry out safety works. Because we have not completed our assessment yet, we cannot say when people will be able to return to their homes. The timescale for returning residents will also vary depending on how much work is needed to individual flats.
We have ensured a presence at the hotels so that residents have someone to turn for information or help. Residents in temporary accommodation can also phone us on 0207 364 5015.
For leaseholders, additional information will be provided shortly.
In the meantime, we will continue to keep people regularly updated on developments.