A significant operation to locate and recover a body from the burnt-out shell of a property in Ryde is underway this morning (Tuesday) with Urban Search and Rescue teams from the mainland called in.
It was on Sunday evening that a small cottage off Monkton Street was significantly damaged when a blaze broke out, resulting in the roof caving in. Firefighters from across the Island spent several hours tackling the flames and damping down the landlocked property, accessed from a small alleyway.
Sadly, it is thought that the homeowner – understood to be an elderly male – was inside the property as the fire developed, leading to a joint investigation being launched by Police and the fire service.
The dangerous state of the building has meant that Police have not yet been able to get inside to establish the full circumstances, which has led to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team being mobilised.
The specialist firefighters – who use heavy duty equipment, ropes, props, cameras and listening devices to free people from collapsed buildings – have arrived at Monkton Street to begin work to shore up the building.
A convoy of vehicles descended on the area at just before 10:30, including the service’s fire investigation dogs and the Fire Investigation Support Unit.
Monkton Street has been closed between Melville Street and East Street.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has deployed a number of specialist dog units from across Hampshire, as well as Crime Scene Investigators from the mainland and local Disaster Victim Identification officers, who will all work together to locate any casualties within the collapsed structure and document the scene.
A spokesperson for the force has said:
“We are continuing to assist our colleagues at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service following a fire at an address on Monkton Street in Ryde on Sunday 8 December.
“Specialist search teams will be entering the building today to ascertain whether or not anyone was inside the building at the time of the fire”.
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