A woman in her 20s sustained injuries after jumping from a balcony to escape a fire at a block of flats in Gateshead, Northumbria Police has confirmed. The fire broke out just before 12.30pm on Sunday at the Ochre Yards flats on Worsdell Drive, on the south bank of the River Tyne.
Emergency response and injuries
Emergency services, including the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and the North East Ambulance Service, attended the scene. 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."
The spokesperson added: "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."
Evacuations and damage
A number of residents were also evacuated from neighbouring properties as a precautionary measure. The flats were pictured with black smoke damage, smashed windows and destroyed furniture, and a cordon was in place earlier today. TWFRS deployed four fire engines, an aerial ladder platform, and two officers to deal with the incident.
An NEAS spokesperson said: "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."
Investigation ongoing
Police said enquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire, but at this early stage, it is not being treated as malicious.
