Andy Burnham has said the Government is offering “all of the support that the authorities need” after a “terribly tragic” house fire near Middlesbrough killed a woman and child.
Valentina Foster, seven, and her aunt Natalie McDonald, 34. died in the blaze less than a mile from the site of a crash on the A66 where seven people were killed, including two police officers.
Asked about the incidents, the Prime Minister told reporters during a visit to South Wales: “Obviously we’re offering all of the support that the authorities need.
“The important thing, it’s a terribly tragic event that’s happened with the loss of a young woman and her seven-year-old niece.”
Valentina Foster, seven, and Natalie McDonald, 34, have been named locally as the two victims who died following a house fire in Grangetown.
(Image: Provided)
A 48-year-old woman remains in a critical condition at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, while three other people suffered injuries believed to be non-life-threatening.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to homelessness charity Changing Lives in Newcastle
(Image: Scott Heppell/PA Wire)
The Prime Minister, who called the situation "utterly devastating", added: “I’m sure there’s a whole community that is grieving, not just what happened at the weekend, and particularly we should stress our deepest respect for the police officers lost in the line of duty and sending our sympathies to their families.
“And we will obviously make sure that the support is there for them going forward.
“The only thing I can say this morning is there is an investigation underway. It will be the fullest possible investigation. The authorities will have all of the support that they need.
“We do need to understand the extent to which they may be connected, but they may not be. So I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions.
“But what we can say at this point in time is that all of the support will be provided to get to the heart of what has happened here.”
Police at the scene of the fire on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown
(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
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Seven-year-old girl and aunt named locally as victims of Grangetown house fire
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Police not ruling out link between A66 crash and fatal house fire killing two people
Floral tributes left at the scene
(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
This comes as, Cleveland Police are investigating a crash into a garden wall at a home on Steele Crescent at 12.30am today (August 27), just a short distance from the scene of the devastating house fire.
The overnight incident comes as the South Ban k, Grangetown andMiddlesbrough areas continue to be plagued bycrime following the A66 crash which claimed seven lives last weekend.
Cleveland Police said it has not been confirmed whether there is any link to the latest incident, as the investigation is in its early stages.