5 injured in 'arson' attack at London Indian eatery, teen among 2 in custody

TOI correspondent from London: A suspected arson attack tore through an Indian restaurant in east London, leaving five people hospitalised, two in life-threatening condition, police said Sunday. A 15-year-old boy and a 54-year-old man were picked up on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Both are in custody and the investigation "continues at pace so we can piece together what happened", detective chief inspector Mark Roger said.

The fire erupted around 9pm (GMT) Friday at Indian Aroma on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill when the restaurant was packed with diners. CCTV footage showed three masked people walking in and throwing a liquid on the floor. Flames engulfed the room in seconds, sparking chaos as diners and staff tried to escape.

Footage also showed a man, his body ablaze, running out of the restaurant. Locals described scenes of panic and severely injured people being given oxygen outside.

London Ambulance Service said paramedics treated five people — three women and two men — for burns and smoke inhalation. "We took two patients to a major trauma centre and three others to local hospitals," a spokesperson said. Two patients, a man and a woman, are in a critical condition, Metropolitan Police said.

London Fire Brigade said crews from four stations reached the restaurant within minutes. "Part of the ground floor restaurant was damaged by fire. The fire was extinguished by 10.32pm," a spokesperson said. Nine people escaped before firefighters arrived.

Indian Aroma, owned by British citizen Sudhir Cheedella, promotes itself as serving "truly" Indian cuisine and catering to film executives, cultural and charity events.