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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Man and woman die in house fire | Man and woman die in house fire |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| A man aged 80 and a woman of 70 have died in a house fire in Essex, while a third person, believed to be a relative staying with them, is missing. | A man aged 80 and a woman of 70 have died in a house fire in Essex, while a third person, believed to be a relative staying with them, is missing. |
| Fire crews were called to Mill Lane in Saffron Walden just after 0830 GMT and found the first floor of a three-storey semi-detached house on fire. | Fire crews were called to Mill Lane in Saffron Walden just after 0830 GMT and found the first floor of a three-storey semi-detached house on fire. |
| The flames spread to the roof, and crews had to tackle the fire wearing breathing apparatus. | The flames spread to the roof, and crews had to tackle the fire wearing breathing apparatus. |
| A gas leak in the house hampered the search for the third person. | A gas leak in the house hampered the search for the third person. |
| Firefighters used a thermal image camera to search for the third person, but had to withdraw from the building for a time when it was declared unsafe. | Firefighters used a thermal image camera to search for the third person, but had to withdraw from the building for a time when it was declared unsafe. |
| Senior divisional officer Julian Ashley said: "If there is a third person in the property, it is unlikely that they would have survived the conditions." | Senior divisional officer Julian Ashley said: "If there is a third person in the property, it is unlikely that they would have survived the conditions." |
| Firefighters had to withdraw when the building became unsafe | |
| He added: "We will resume our search once the house is safe. | He added: "We will resume our search once the house is safe. |
| "The fire is now out, although there are still a couple of hotspots. | "The fire is now out, although there are still a couple of hotspots. |
| "Operations have been hindered by a gas leak inside the house, which means we cannot commit crews inside at the moment. | "Operations have been hindered by a gas leak inside the house, which means we cannot commit crews inside at the moment. |
| "The Gas Board is on the scene trying to locate the leak and isolate the supply so that we can continue to look for the third person." | "The Gas Board is on the scene trying to locate the leak and isolate the supply so that we can continue to look for the third person." |
| A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out to establish the cause of the fire once the building has been made safe. | A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out to establish the cause of the fire once the building has been made safe. |