Lewisham fire: Tragedy as boy with 'great heart' dies after flames tear through flats

This is the 12-year-old boy "with great heart" who died following a fire at a flat on Wednesday morning.

Fabian Henry was pronounced dead at the scene in Lewisham, southeast London, after a blaze engulfed his family home. He was described as "a pleasure to teach" by his former teacher, who also said Fabian loved football and was captain for his school team.

A woman, aged 54, was taken to hospital by paramedics. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. Three further people left the building before firefighters arrived in the early hours of Wednesday. One devastated neighbour told the Mirror she saw someone jump from the second-floor property to the communal gardens some distance below in a desperate bid to escape the inferno.

Other witnesses described hearing Fabian's mother shout "my boy, my boy, please help my boy" as emergency services - including 70 firefighters - descended on the block of flats just after midnight on Wednesday.

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The tragedy is the family's second in recent times after Fabian's dad died of cancer. The boy's aunt Suezette Edwards told Metro: "We are all heartbroken... He was lovely. The family wanted him to be a doctor. He was also very good at football. He was a big Man United fan."

Fabian's old teacher also told the publication: "He had a great heart. He was always the captain always up for everything. He was a talented footballer he could play any position. I taught him for seven years at primary... When he sees me he still gives me a big hug and says he scored yesterday. He was a pleasure to teach. I wish all kids were like him."

The family is being supported by specialist officers. The cause of the fire is under investigation but the London Fire Brigade but is not believed to be suspicious at this stage. The Metropolitan Police is assisting the service with the probe.

Speaking to the Mirror yesterday, one neighbour said: "We first heard people running and screaming around midnight, and then there was a series of loud noises that sounded like gunshots, followed by glass shattering. It seems those were the noises of the fire damage. Firefighters and police arrived quickly."

Police have called the fire a "tragic incident" and recognise the "impact it will have on the community" in Lewisham, which is in the southeast of the capital. Detective Chief Inspector Danian Reid, from the Metropolitan Police’s local investigations team, said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with everyone involved.

“We continue to work alongside investigators from the London Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the fire. We understand the impact this will have on the community and there will be local neighbourhood officers, and other emergency services, in the area as enquiries continue."

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