Dramatic footage shows police kicking down door to rescue people from burning building
A man was charged with arson after fire ripped through South Kensington flats last week
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Dramatic footage showing the moment police kick down a door to rescue people trapped in a burning building has emerged.
The body cam clip was released by the Metropolitan Police on Monday. Wesley Guilherme Farias, 25, has since been charged with arson with intent to endanger life and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the afternoon.
Officers are seen breaking into the flats in an upmarket neighbourhood in South Kensington, London, on Friday and desperately trying to dampen the flames with fire extinguishers.
They are heard coughing and urging residents to flee as they run into the five-storey building on Emperor’s Gate while smoke billows out of doorways inside.
Around 130 people were evacuated when the blaze broke out on the ground floor of the converted property just after midnight, before quickly spreading to the top floor and into the roof.
Dramatic pictures showed flames erupting from the top of the terraced building as water jets were fired into the burning roof.
London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service were also on the scene tackling the terrifying blaze as it ripped through the homes, with 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters present.
Two people in a second-floor flat and two more from the fourth floor were rescued, while another person was rescued from a first-floor apartment.
The six residents and seven police officers who suffered smoke inhalation during the incident were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.
Superintendent Jill Horsfall, one of the senior officers responsible for policing Kensington & Chelsea, said: “The bravery and professionalism of the Met officers who responded so rapidly to this terrifying fire shows the very best of policing. They acted without hesitation to rapidly enter a burning building full of smoke and to save lives.
“Our subsequent investigation will be equally tenacious and we now have a man in custody.
“Working with our partners and communities to keep Londoners safe is exactly why police officers come to work every day. We are recruiting people who share our determination to do just this.”
Anyone with information that may assist the Met’s investigation, is asked to call the force on 101, ref 107/01Mar. To remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.