Dad throws young daughters from top floor of burning flats as ferocious fire takes hold

A fire had broken out at his Somerset Court apartment block in Gosport, Hampshire.

Payne dropped his four and seven-year-old daughters from the top floor window after hurling out mattresses to help break their fall.

He said: “The whole flat has gone – we’ve got nothing left.”

Payne added: “We'd woken up to the fire alarm, I opened the door and flames and smoke came through.

“The whole place went black. We were screaming at the top of our lungs for someone to help us.

“I chucked a mattress out the window and threw my kids out and then my wife and myself jumped.

“It was very traumatising...my four-year-old daughter has burns up her arms from her fingertips to her shoulders.”

Several neighbours also commented on Payne’s desperate bid to save his daughters.

James Matthews said: “He was pleading with anybody, ‘please somebody, please help me, somebody please catch my children, somebody please help us’.

“It was awful, somebody fearing for their life.

“He dropped the first girl and I caught her under her armpits, a pretty straight sort of catch.

“He dropped the second girl afterwards and along with another neighbour we sort of broke her fall together.”

Firefighters from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service were on hand to extinguish the blaze.

The fire is currently being investigated as a potential arson attack.

Families from 23 flats were saved but four people were taken to hospital with burns, smoke inhalation and for checks.

Firefighters also managed to rescue four dogs and three cats.

Nev Lewendon, station manager for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service, said: “People were screaming, panic had ensued throughout some of those flats worried about evacuation.

“So the crews turned up and rapidly put up ladders to help with these people who needed evacuating.

“In some cases people were helped down ladders, others were actually helped out windows as well.

“It was a fierce fire, initially through that middle block, going up through the centre, which is where that stairwell is.

“I'm really proud of the teams that were here on site initially and the ones that have come afterwards to just get involved and try to get this fire extinguished.”

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary added: “The fire is currently being treated as suspicious, and police remain on scene making enquiries with the fire service.”

Anyone with information has been encouraged to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 44230182829.