A woman is dead and two children are in hospital after a suspected murder.
The woman, 46, is believed to have been stabbed to death before the explosion at a house in Stoke Newington, at 5am today.
The children, aged nine and seven, were taken to hospital as a precaution, but are not believed to have been inside the property when it exploded.
A 44-year-old man has been arrested for murder and is currently in hospital where he is being treated for slash wounds.
Pictures from the scene show the badly-damaged two-storey home with charred walls.
Witness Bhikha Maisuria, 68, told Metro: ‘There was a “boom” like a bomb going off.
‘Then there was glass flying everywhere and searing heat. There was smoke coming out of the house it was like a war zone.
‘A family with two children live in the house. They seem lovely. The children are young. It was really horrifying.’
Another neighbour, 47, told Metro: ‘There was a bang like a loud clap of thunder then all hell let loose. The emergency services were here in minutes. It was such a shock. The explosion was loud I feared for my family. A young family live there, it’s terrifying.’
A woman at the scene described how she ‘flew out of bed’ after hearing a loud explosion.
The mother of three told Metro: ‘It was so loud a big blast then smoke and glass everywhere. We all ran out ready to help but the police were here very quickly.’
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A neigbour said: ‘The woman who died was really nice. They had lived here for a while. They seemed like the perfect family with no worries.’
Station Commander Darren McTernan said: ‘Motorists and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area for most of this morning while investigations into the cause of this incident are carried out.
‘There are road closures in place on Stoke Newington Church Street from the junction of the A10 to Defoe Road.
‘Residents should also note that Kersley Road is completely shut at this time.’
Police have launched a murder investigation.
A London Ambulance spokesman said: ‘Sadly, despite our best efforts, a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A man was taken to a London major trauma centre. Two children were taken to hospital for a precautionary assessment.’
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