Two people have died following a house fire in Middlesbrough, and police have launched a murder investigation, not ruling out links to organised crime. This was reported by infohub.kz.
Emergency services were called at 5:23 AM on Wednesday to reports of a house fire in the Grangetown area of Middlesbrough. Firefighters sent six engines and an incident command unit to the scene. Tragically, two people died, and a woman is in a critical condition in a hospital in Newcastle. Three other people sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to hospital.
Superintendent Emily Harrison, local policing commander for Redcar and Cleveland, said: "We are working to establish the circumstances of exactly what has happened, but we are keeping an open mind and cannot rule out any links to wider organised crime at this time."
The fire occurred about two miles from the scene of a collision on Saturday on the A66, in which a Volkswagen Passat travelling in the wrong direction crashed head-on into a police vehicle. Seven people died in that incident, including two police officers: PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38. The five occupants of the Volkswagen Passat were also pronounced dead at the scene: Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak, both 23.
Cleveland Police have since continued to disrupt those suspected of being involved in serious and organised crime, resulting in 17 arrests. Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Fox, who is leading the investigation, said: "This has been a fast-moving and complex investigation, with significant links to serious and organised criminal activity. The events of that tragic night will have a lasting and profound impact on the Cleveland area and the communities we seek to protect. We have a duty to respond to, and thoroughly investigate, the serious criminal activity that resulted in this fatal incident, and to bring all those responsible to justice. Our robust response will continue in the weeks and months to come."
Councillor Adam Brook, representing Grangetown, described the fire as "absolutely devastating" but urged people not to speculate or share unconfirmed information. He said: "Many residents have been in touch with me throughout the morning, and I know there is understandably a great deal of concern. However, I would urge people not to speculate or share unconfirmed information."