Bomb blast kills older woman at sheltered housing scheme

A leaking oxygen cylinder is believed to have been responsible
for the explosion at a sheltered accommodation scheme that killed
one woman and injured two other residents.

A 71-year-old woman died in the blast at John Tucker House on
the Isle of Dogs, east London, on Monday morning. Another resident
was in intensive care on Monday night, but is now said to be
stable.

Tower Hamlets council social services and housing staff
evacuated a further 17 of the 35 residents to a nearby community
centre, where they were provided with breakfast and lunch before
returning home in the afternoon.

A council spokesperson said: “Housing officers took the lead on
finding the alternative accommodation as part of our contingency
plans for such an event. The whole process went smoothly.”

Recommendations of Tower Hamlets’ own inquiry into the
blast will be based on the fire brigade’s investigation.

An oxygen cylinder that had not been turned off properly or had
developed a fault is considered a likely cause because the
accommodation did not have a gas supply.