The father of a two-year-old girl killed along with two of her grandparents when a huge blaze swept through a flat above the family’s shop had seen sparks emitting from a fridge in the basement days earlier, it was claimed.
Newsagent Ravindran Rasiha - who lost his youngest daughter plus his mother-in-law and father-in-law in the horrific blaze opposite Wimbledon Park tube station afternoon of July 3 - told a pal he had complained to his landlord after spotting sparks coming from a fridge-freezer in the basement below the shop.
Eye-witnesses described how they first spotted flames coming from the basement below the store in a row of shops opposite the tube station, less than a mile from the All England Lawn Tennis Club where the Wimbledon Championships are taking place.
Neighbours named the grandparents who died as Vellupillai Sivagnanam, who was in his 70s, and his wife Thanalaksmi Sivagnanam. They were originally from Sri Lanka.
Their daughter Gowri Ravindran, who is in her 30s, was taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation after a hero van driver helped rescue her from the blaze before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Her husband Ravindran Rasiha, also in his mid-thirties, was working in the shop below when the fire began. He was also taken to hospital for treatment.
The child who died in the fire is believed to be Ravindran and Gowri’s youngest daughter. Their other daughter, about six-years-old, was at school when flames engulfed the family’s home.
One close family friend, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s truly horrible they are a very close family. Ravindran, the father of the little girl, is devastated. He has lost half his family.”
Neighbour Vijaya Karunaratne, who works in nearby Wimbledon Park Post Office, said: “I came out and saw smoke billowing out of the building. The flames were coming from the basement and climbing the building.
“There were fumes everywhere. I ran out on to the street and I could feel the heat from the fire. It was burning hot.
“Then I saw the fire crew bring out three bodies. Two were in blue body bags, and the other was carried on a stretcher. I felt sick. It was horrible.
“A van driver who had tried to rescue the family was trying to get Ravindran’s wife out, but she wouldn’t budge. She wouldn’t leave without her family. She knew they were trapped inside, but they didn’t have a chance.”
He added: “I spoke to Ravindran only a few days ago. He told me he had just seen sparks coming from the fridge freezer in the basement of his shop. He said he had already told the landlord about it and was waiting to hear back from him.
“I don’t know if that was how the fire started but, if so, it is tragic and the landlord will be a very worried man.”
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said post mortems and an inquest would be opened and adjourned in due course. Local police officers and London Fire Brigade investigators were probing the cause of the blaze.
Newsagent Ravindran Rasiha - who lost his youngest daughter plus his mother-in-law and father-in-law in the horrific blaze opposite Wimbledon Park tube station afternoon of July 3 - told a pal he had complained to his landlord after spotting sparks coming from a fridge-freezer in the basement below the shop.
Eye-witnesses described how they first spotted flames coming from the basement below the store in a row of shops opposite the tube station, less than a mile from the All England Lawn Tennis Club where the Wimbledon Championships are taking place.
Neighbours named the grandparents who died as Vellupillai Sivagnanam, who was in his 70s, and his wife Thanalaksmi Sivagnanam. They were originally from Sri Lanka.
Their daughter Gowri Ravindran, who is in her 30s, was taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation after a hero van driver helped rescue her from the blaze before firefighters arrived at the scene.
Her husband Ravindran Rasiha, also in his mid-thirties, was working in the shop below when the fire began. He was also taken to hospital for treatment.
The child who died in the fire is believed to be Ravindran and Gowri’s youngest daughter. Their other daughter, about six-years-old, was at school when flames engulfed the family’s home.
One close family friend, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s truly horrible they are a very close family. Ravindran, the father of the little girl, is devastated. He has lost half his family.”
Neighbour Vijaya Karunaratne, who works in nearby Wimbledon Park Post Office, said: “I came out and saw smoke billowing out of the building. The flames were coming from the basement and climbing the building.
“There were fumes everywhere. I ran out on to the street and I could feel the heat from the fire. It was burning hot.
“Then I saw the fire crew bring out three bodies. Two were in blue body bags, and the other was carried on a stretcher. I felt sick. It was horrible.
“A van driver who had tried to rescue the family was trying to get Ravindran’s wife out, but she wouldn’t budge. She wouldn’t leave without her family. She knew they were trapped inside, but they didn’t have a chance.”
He added: “I spoke to Ravindran only a few days ago. He told me he had just seen sparks coming from the fridge freezer in the basement of his shop. He said he had already told the landlord about it and was waiting to hear back from him.
“I don’t know if that was how the fire started but, if so, it is tragic and the landlord will be a very worried man.”
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said post mortems and an inquest would be opened and adjourned in due course. Local police officers and London Fire Brigade investigators were probing the cause of the blaze.
