Man dies after tent set on fire in London as police launch murder probe

Two men, who are both believed to be in their 40s, were taken to hospital with burn injuries after firefighters were called to the North Circular Road in Wanstead, east London, late on Tuesday night.

One of them died in hospital on Wednesday, while the other remains in hospital in a critical condition, Scotland Yard said.

The London Fire Brigade said four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled the blaze, which completely destroyed a tent and damaged a large area of wasteland.

The Metropolitan Police said the identities of the victims are unknown, while two other men are in custody after they were arrested on suspicion of arson and attempted murder.

Detective Sergeant Ian Valentine, said: ‘We are working hard to establish the circumstances that led to this fatal fire and we believe the public can assist us with our investigation.

‘We know that after the fire started, two men came out onto the A406 in an attempt to seek assistance from passing drivers.

‘Anyone who believes they may have seen these two people on the verge or stopped to speak to them is urged to contact us.

‘In particular we are keen to hear from anyone who has any relevant dashcam footage.’

The death was the sixth suspected killing in the capital in six days.

A 38-year-old man died following a triple stabbing in Barnet, north London, on Tuesday night after Lithuanian national Giedrius Juskauskas, 42, was stabbed to death in Stratford, east London, in the early hours of Monday morning.

Their deaths followed three suspected murders in the space of 24 hours over the weekend, including two teenagers who were fatally attacked at teatime on Friday.

Cheyon Evans, 18, was found stabbed on Deeside Road in Wandsworth, south-west London, at 4.42pm, and died at the scene.

In the second killing, Eniola Aluko, 19, from Thamesmead, south-east London, was shot dead in Hartville Road, Plumstead, shortly before 5pm.

On Saturday, 34-year-old Gleb Stanislavovitch Zhebrovsky was in a field next to a nursery and a mosque in Alton Street, in Limehouse, east London, just before 2pm.