Man running into blazing building rescued by fire crews

A MAN who ran into a burning building to rescue his belongings had to be rescued himself by shocked firefighters who shot in after him. They caught up with him on the staircase above an East End caf� and had to drag him out as he began choking in the thick smoke

Picture by East London Advertiser Reader Kate Forrest

Report: Julia Gregory and Victoria Huntley

A MAN who ran into a burning building to rescue his belongings had to be rescued himself by shocked firefighters who shot in after him.

The man’s flat was above a caf� where a blaze broke out in London’s East End last night.

Firefighters caught up with the man on the staircase above Bethnal Green’s Astro Star Caf� and had to drag him out as he began choking in the thick smoke.

The man had returned to home to see smoke billowing from the roof and ran inside in panic worried about his possessions, before quick-thinking firefighters ran after him.

CAFE KITCHEN

The fire broke out in the kitchen at the back of the caf� in Bethnal Green Road at 9pm. A crowd of 200 onlookers gathered as fire crews tackled the blaze.

Residents from the flats above had already evacuated when the crews arrived from Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Shadwell and Old Kent Road fire stations.

One of the tenants told the East London Advertiser: “I could smell an electrical burning and looked out the window and could see smoke. So I went outside and called the fire brigade.”

Firefighters search the building after unconfirmed reports that a child was inside, but found no-one. Fire investigators were later looking into the cause of the blaze.