Criminal investigation launched after upwards of 23 people thought to be sleeping in the three-bedroom flat
The fire at Maddocks House, on the Tarling West estate in Shadwell, East London, broke out early on 5 March as 16 people slept in the property, with London Fire Brigade (LFB) responding to an emergency call at 02:52. Whilst the majority of residents had vacated the building before the emergency services arrived, 41-year-old Mizanur Rahman had to be rescued from a bedroom. He later died at hospital.
The fire is not being treated as suspicious, with a council spokesperson saying they were “profoundly saddened” at the death, and are working with the LFB and Metropolitan Police to investigate both the cause of the fire and the living conditions of the flat. Initial reports from LFB believe the cause to be a lithium-ion battery from an e-bike.
One of the occupiers of the flat, Zubayer Khan, 34, said the students and food delivery drivers living there were each charged £100 a week, with the private leaseholder alleged to be earning around £8,000 a month.
Tower Hamlets council had been repeatedly notified by residents of the block of the overcrowding since it became a serious issue in 2021, and council investigations in 2022 led to the property being awarded a house of multiple occupation licence in August of that year, under which overcrowding is an offence. However, as reported in The Guardian, neighbours continue to lodge complaints with the council’s landlord body, with one resident telling the newspaper that they feared for their safety.
“There were so many guys living there. If there was a fire we were worried and we mentioned that to the council.”
The council’s failure to stop the overcrowding prompted the Tarling West Residents’ Association to release a statement on Twitter, saying:
“The fact that this tragedy was linked to a neglectful council and a rogue landlord only serves to amplify our anger and frustration … It is unacceptable that people continue to lose their lives due to the negligence of those responsible for providing safe and adequate housing.”
Hussain Ismail, a spokesperson for Maddocks House Support Group, reinforced this position, telling East London Lines:
“We’re concerned about the council investigating itself… The blame really, I think, lies with Tower Hamlets Council and Tower Hamlets Homes for not doing anything when people had been complaining for over two years, formally and informally, and we have a paper trail.”
He also reported that the group are considering suing the manufacturer of the e-bike battery, as they campaign for justice for the victim’s family.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said it was “supporting those who have been affected with a weekly allowance and signposting to advice, and have provided emergency hotel accommodation which we have now extended for a further week”.
The council went on to say the “illegal subletting of properties is abhorrent and dangerous because the welfare of tenants is being put in jeopardy for financial gain”, and confirmed that they are now carrying out a criminal investigation under the Housing Act.