Mum’s blood-curdling screams as son, 7, is ‘murdered’ in arson attack at family home

THE death of the seven-year-old boy killed in a house fire in the early hours of this morning is being treated as murder, police have said.

Schoolboy Joel Urhie could not be saved as flames ripped through his family's home in Deptford, South East London.

The seven-year-old's mother Efe, 49, also known as Sophie, was left screaming for help as their home turned into a "fireball" and was forced to fling herself from the first floor of the property to escape the deadly blaze.

Efe's 19-year-old daughter Sarah, who is a first-year university student at Coventry University, was also forced to throw herself from a first-floor window.

Joel's father today stood outside his son's burnt out home, paying tribute to the "sweet" and "intelligent" young boy.

Grieving dad John, 54, who doesn't live at the south east London home, told the Sun Online: "It's terrible. I'm devastated.

"He was a very lovely boy. It's a terrible loss. I only saw him yesterday. It's a terrible situation. The pain we cannot forget.

"When I came at 4am in the morning, the first thing I saw was my daughter inside the ambulance.

"They said, 'Joel's dead', and there's nothing I can do about it.

"I came [to the house] because I need to see the body."

He added: “Joel used to play football. He was doing very well with it. He used to play with all the kids around here. He was very intelligent. It's a painful situation."

Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan, of Lewisham Police, said: "An innocent seven-year-old boy has lost his life in what should have been the safest place for him, his home.

"We're treating this as a murder investigation. We believe that the fire was started deliberately but at this stage I am unable to go into any further detail due to operational reasons.

"We have no idea what the motive for this attack was. We've got no suspects at this time."

Mum Efe Urhie is now recovering at University Hospital Lewisham with their daughter Sarah.

The couple's eldest son Samuel, 21, who no longer lives at the property, is currently with his mother and sister at the hospital.

Joel's cousin Sylvia MacNamara said she had only seen him last week.

She said: "He was a sweet boy. He loved doing his ABCs.

"Every time you'd visit he'd get so excited to tell you a new word. He was so jolly. I can't believe it, I'm in shock.

"My sister's wedding is this weekend in Spain - she rang in hysterics. She's so upset.

"It's doesn't make any sense what's happened. I don't know anyone who would want to hurt them."

Traumatised neighbours today described how the blood-soaked mum screamed "my son is in there" after the fire broke out at the Deptford home in the early hours of this morning.

Close friend Grace Gbenedio, 56, told Sun Online: "It was terrible. The fire was really burning.

"The mum collapsed on my lap. She was in a bad state. Her head was bleeding, her head was full of blood. She couldn’t stand.

"She collapsed on me when a fireball - the last blast of the window - blew out the house. I was crying and she was crying."

She added: "She was crying for her son. She was saying ‘help my son, he’s inside.’

"I wrapped her in a blanket and covered her legs as she couldn’t stand. Her legs and hands were in a lot of pain.

"My daughter Tega, 31, was holding Sarah. She was saying ‘my brother, my brother, he’s in there.’"

Met Police have now launched an arson investigation into the tragedy that claimed the life of the seven-year-old boy.

London fire crews had rushed to the home on Adolphus Street to find the blaze raging inside around 3.30am.

The Homicide and Major Crime Command are assisting local officers as they investigate the tragedy that has left the community reeling.

Shocked neighbours said they saw the front of the house "engulfed in flames".

Andre Pavanello, 21, who lives in the next door house, told The Sun Online: "I woke up and the flames were already going.

"It was around 3.30am. The front of the house was engulfed in flames. We went to the back of the house and could hear lots of screams. I was told the little boy was trapped in the back of the house.

"The boy was trapped but people couldn’t get in because the flames were way too big."

Kayla McClellan, 23, who also lives next door to the fire, added: "I just woke up to screaming and when we opened the door a wall of fire came through the front and we immediately closed it and went out through the back."

Fellow neighbour Carlos, 24, who lives on the street, said: "I could hear the windows cracking. The mum was injured jumping from the first floor and she was bleeding from her head.

"It was quite an intense fire and the mum and the boy's sister were trying to get in to the house. You could hear windows cracking. Around 20 people came out to the street to try and get the boy out but the fire spread so quickly.

"A lot of people were screaming. The fire was very intense."

Mcklushia Myles, the father of the seven-year-old's best friend, said he was "absolutely devastated" by the tragedy.

Mr Myles, a carpenter who lives nearby, told the Sun Online: "He is like my son. We’re very close. All of us are hurting. We just have to be strong and keep comforting the family and do whatever we can to help them.

"They’re a popular family and the whole community is one big family. There’s no trouble round here and we look out for each other. "

He said he didn't hear what happened until neighbours knocked on his door to tell him.

He added: "It's unbelievable to know that he's gone."

One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Everyone is in shock. Sarah was in the room on the first floor on the left and Efe was on the right.

"Sarah jumped down first then Efe jumped and she was going ‘my son, my son is in there'.

"They tried to run to go round the back to try and get in but there was a fireball coming out the house.

"Efe was covered in blood saying ‘my son is in there.’ She was shouting and screaming."

Clive Stagg, 64, said "all hell was breaking loose" and added: "I have never seen anything like it. The whole house was ablaze.

"You couldn't even get near it, even if you would have tried."

The neighbourhood is now banding together to support the family - with a family friend describing Efe as an "angel".

She said: "She would come to anyone's aid. She's very caring, she's selfless. This should not be happening."

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said the ground floor of the home had been badly damaged by the blaze, as well as the whole of the first floor and the stairs from the ground to the first floor.

They said: "Two women jumped from first floor level shortly before the first firefighters arrived at scene. They were both treated at the scene by firefighters and London Ambulance Service crews."

Met Police said there had been no arrests so far.

The fire was contained by 5am, with a number of properties evacuated.

London Ambulance confirmed they had treated two people at the scene before taking them to hospital.

Six fire engines and 35 firefighters were called to the scene.

Fire crews from Dockhead, Greenwich, New Cross and Lewisham fire stations attended the incident.

Anyone with information on this fatal fire is requested to call police on 101 quoting CAD 933/07Aug or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.