| 3 July 2009
The British Red Cross has opened a rest centre for residents evacuated after a serious fire at a tower block in Camberwell, South London.
Responding to a request from Southwark Council, 22 Red Cross volunteers and staff were called to the fire at 12-storey Lakanal House on the Sceaux Gardens Estate in Camberwell.
The Red Cross has set up a rest centre and control room at the Baptist Church on Bushey Hill Street, looking after around 90 people.
Help and advice
Working closely with the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and the council, Red Cross staff and volunteers provided food and medical care for evacuated people. They also gave help and advice for people tracing relatives and finding overnight accommodation.
Marcus Stephan, operations director for London, said: “It’s a very serious incident. We helped evacuate people from the scene to the rest centre. We have a fully mobile kitchen and Tesco provided us with food for meals.
“People were very distraught and worried about loved ones. But this is what we train for and this is what we do. When we saw people in such dreadful conditions we were there for them.”
The fire, which started on the afternoon of Friday 3 July, is known to have killed three children and three adults. A total of 19 people were taken to hospital.
Fire in Liverpool
In a separate incident, Red Cross volunteers have responded to a fire in Liverpool’s Lodge Lane. Ten volunteers are running a rest centre at the Austin Rawlinson Leisure Centre, close to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, for residents who cannot yet return to their homes.
The Red Cross’ Christine Ambler said: “At the moment we have about 25 people at the rest centre, but as it’s been a warm evening, and a Friday night, there could be more residents who may attempt to return home later this evening.”
On Saturday 4 July, volunteers reopened the rest centre at a local church hall, catering for about 50 people who were still unable to return home.
Tesco support
In both London and Liverpool, local Tesco stores donated food and drink for people being cared for at the rest centres, as part of a long-standing partnership between the Red Cross and the supermarket chain to help people affected by emergencies
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