Tommy Ballay-Dean died in the fire in Southwark, London, on Wednesday – this is a breaking story
Tributes have poured in for a talented young footballer who died in a flat fire.
Tommy Ballay-Dean, 16, who was known as Junior Dean, died after a fire broke out in a flat on Cooper’s Road in Southwark, south London, on Wednesday.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled the fire in the first-floor flat of a six-storey building next to Old Kent Road Fire Station.
Another teenage boy escaped the property before firefighters arrived and was taken to hospital, the LFB said on Thursday.
A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe to help raise money to support Junior’s family with funeral costs.
It reads: “Junior was the heart and soul of Southwark Residents and a cherished member of the wider Southwark community. His faith was one of the things that truly stood out, alongside his talent. He often led prayers before matches and constantly encouraged those around him, sometimes putting others before himself.”
The LFB was called to the incident shortly before 3pm on Wednesday and dispatched crews from Dockhead, Dowgate, Shadwell and Whitechapel fire stations. The fire was brought under control just after 4.30pm.
A 64-metre turntable ladder from Old Kent Road Fire Station was also deployed, arriving within six minutes of the call, an LFB spokesperson said. The spokesperson added: “Another appliance from Old Kent Road was out at a different incident but did return to the scene of the incident later.”
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the LFB’s Fire Investigation Unit and the Metropolitan Police.
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