The young boy who lost his life in a devastating house explosion has been identified as Archie York, aged just seven years old. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a huge explosion decimated six flats on Violet Close, located in Benwell, Newcastle. Sadly, it was later confirmed that Archie’s life had been taken in the blast. A second individual, who is believed to be a man in his 30s, was also found in the rubble but has not yet been identified.
Following the tragedy, Abbie York, Archie’s aunt, spoke to the BBC’s North of England correspondent Fiona Trott and shared some poignant memories of the young boy. She described Archie as a “loving boy, with a cheeky little grin on his face all of the time.” The family had only recently moved to the Benwell property, and Archie’s parents, along with his two-month-old brother, were also treated in hospital before being discharged and cared for by relatives.
Five adults and one child were also hospitalised with an array of varying injuries, with all but one person having since been discharged following treatment. In the aftermath of the explosion, a number of local families were forced to flee their homes and are currently receiving temporary accommodation. Cordons have been put in place around the site of the incident, and police have advised that they will remain there for the foreseeable future as both emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive carry out an investigation into the cause of the explosion.
As the local community comes to terms with the tragedy they have experienced, BBC Newcastle has provided information about how to follow their coverage on Twitter, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. The BBC team has also called on their audience to share their own experiences and submit story ideas by sending them to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk
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