Investigations are continuing after a fire seriously damaged a block of flats in the Ochre Yards development in Gateshead, with two people taken to hospital.
The blaze broke out on Worsdell Drive just before 12.30am on Sunday. Both Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) are making enquiries into the incident.
Emergency response and casualties
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) attended the scene, treating two patients who were taken to hospital - one for smoke inhalation and one with an ankle injury.
Police earlier confirmed reports that a woman in her 20s had jumped from her balcony to escape the flames. The building was evacuated after extensive damage was done to the flats involved.
Official statements on the fire
A TWFRS spokesperson said: "We can confirm that on Sunday 25th October, five appliances including an Aerial Ladder Platform, attended an incident involving a fire at a residential property in Gateshead.
"The emergency call was received by our Control Room team at 12:30, and crews from Gateshead, Sunderland, Tynemouth, South Shields and Gosforth Community Fire Stations were dispatched to Fletcher Road, Ochres Yards.
"Crews brought the fire under control quickly and we can confirm that two casualties were taken to hospital by North East Ambulance Service. A fire investigation into the cause of the fire will take place to establish the most likely cause."
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Just after 12.30pm today (Sunday), we received a report of concern for the safety of a person in Gateshead. It was reported that woman had jumped from a balcony after a fire had broken out within an address on Worsdell Drive.
"Emergency services attended and extinguished the fire. A woman, aged in her 20s, was found to have sustained injuries not believed to be life-threatening, including a suspected broken ankle. She was taken to hospital for treatment.
"A number of residents were also evacuated from neighbouring properties as a precautionary measure. Enquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. However, at this early stage, it is not being treated as malicious."
Ambulance service details
An NEAS spokesperson added: "We were called by the fire service just after 12.30pm today (25 October) for a fire at an apartment block on Worsdell Drive in Gateshead.
"We dispatched two ambulance crews, two hazardous area response team (HART) crews and a clinical team leader to the scene. We treated two patients, one for smoke inhalation and another for an ankle injury, before taking them into hospital."
Enquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, with an investigation by the fire service set to establish the most likely cause.
