One person seriously injured after blast causes fire in basement of south London station
One person has been seriously injured after an explosion started a fire at Croydon police station in south London, Scotland Yard has said.
A police spokesman said the cause of the fire had yet to be established but it was not believed to be terrorist-related or due to foul play.
The seriously injured man was a contractor doing building work at the police station. A London ambulance service (LAS) spokeswoman said he had been flown by air ambulance to Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford where he was being treated for serious burns. Six other people were treated by the LAS, she said.
Another contractor was taken to St George's hospital in Tooting with burns to his arms and face. Scotland Yard described his condition as stable. Three others, another male contractor with minor burns and a man and a woman both suffering from smoke inhalation, were taken to Croydon University hospital. Two other people were assessed at the scene but did not need hospital treatment.
The explosion, which caused a fire in the basement of the station, was reported at 11.25am on Tuesday. London fire brigade (LFB) said 10 fire engines and around 50 firefighters had attended the scene and the fire was now under control.
The LFB station manager Tej Ajimal, who attended the incident, said: "Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control and have managed to contain it to the basement area and stop it from spreading to the rest of the police station." Chief Inspector Caroline Trevithick told the Croydon Guardian that the explosion had taken place in the station's firing range but that there was no live ammunition in the basement. More than 100 staff were evacuated and 14 people in custody were transferred to South Norwood station.
The station remained fully operational in Croydon, with staff operating from other stations, Scotland Yard said.
The Health and Safety Executive has been informed of the incident.