Thornton Heath: Families still homeless months after fatal gas blast

The explosion led to the evacuation of more than 25 families

Twenty-seven families are still unable to return to their homes, eight months after they were evacuated following a fatal gas explosion in south London.

The blast in Thornton Heath killed four-year-old Sahara Salman and saw hundreds of residents evacuated.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Merton Council said some families were still "displaced", as it tries to evaluate which homes are safe to return to.

A Met Police investigation into the blast is ongoing.

Ross Garrod, the leader of Merton Council, said that aside from the homes destroyed in the blast, "the rest of the houses should be ready for reoccupation in the next few weeks".

It was revealed in February that Sahara's family were among those still living in temporary accommodation.

Sahara Salman died in the explosion

Sahara's mother, Sana Ahmed, said that "we are still homeless and sleeping on the floor".

She added: "We deserve support in this difficult time but it feels like we've been left to fend for ourselves."

While some families are living with friends or relatives, others remain in hotels.

The announcement by Merton Council comes as SGN, the company responsible for the area's gas supply, announced plans to fix and replace the gas mains.

Previously, SGN said it had donated half a million pounds to Merton Council, as well as providing hotel accommodation for evacuated residents.

Speaking in February, a spokesperson for the company said: "We understand this continues to be an incredibly challenging period for the Galpin's Road community, particularly for those who have not been able to return to their homes.

"In the past six months, we've liaised closely with Merton Council, which is the lead agency for supporting households since the explosion."

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