Five persons suffered serious injuries after the Indian Aroma restaurant in Ilford, East London, was set afire on Friday night. A 15-year-old boy and a 54-year-old man were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of arson at the Ilford restaurant.
Three women and two men, believed to be diners, suffered burn injuries and were rushed to a hospital, after being treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service paramedics. The condition of a man and a woman is serious, police said. The restaurant sustained extensive damage due to the fire.
Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and we are investigating into what happened on Friday evening, said Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers of the Met Police’s Central Specialist Crime North unit.
The two suspects were arrested on suspicion of arson with an intent to endanger life and are in police custody. Police kept a vigil in the Woodford Avenue area of Gants Hill during the weekend. Two other victims who left the scene before the officers arrived still remain to be identified, police said.
According to the CCTV footage, the attackers were masked and set fire to the dining spot.
The restaurant is managed by Rohit Kaluvala, which indicates he is from the Telugu states, and the place claims to be dedicated for authentic flavours of India like Gutti Vankaya Koora According to the restaurant’s website: “Some of our clientele include movie executives, film and television crews, religious and cultural events, charity and business events, and religious and cultural events. Our restaurant is highly known for both its first-rate customer service and high quality, distinctive Indian cuisine served with its authentic recipes.”
The London Fire Brigade confirmed that their personnel were called at 9:02 pm on Friday by the restaurant on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill. The motive behind the arson still remains to be investigated.
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