A COMMUNITY is in mourning after a "lovely and kind" woman died in a house fire.
Firefighters were called to a blaze at a terraced house in Leybourne Road, Leytonstone, at 9.30pm last night.
A woman, believed to be aged 65, was found on the ground floor of the house. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
No one else was believed to have been in the house at the time of the fire.
Police today launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, but do not believe it was suspicious.
Irfan Akuji, 26, who lives next door to the woman, arrived home just before the fire brigade arrived.
He said: "A neighbour was knocking on my door when it happened. I came out of my house and saw smoke coming out of her house.
"I jumped over her wall and tried to break into the house, but I couldn't get in. The fire brigade came straight away and broke in.
"I am very shocked about it. I just wish I had got home sooner so I could have seen the fire and I could have got her out.
"It is sad. She would always have an electric fire on at the back of the house, and smoked cigarettes, so that could have set it off.
"She was a lovely and kind lady who lived alone. I would often visit her and sit and talk to her."
Aisha Valli, 60, of Leybourne Road, said: "We are all very shocked by this.
"It was quite scary last night when it happened. The police were trying to break into the house.
"Everyone came out onto the street to see what was happening. The children were quite scared because they didn't know what was going on."
Zubeda Patel, 56, of Leybourne Road, added: "It's such a shame. She was a nice lady who always said hello.
"She was a vulnerable lady and she kept to herself, so we didn't know a lot about her."
Police said the woman's next of kin is yet to be informed.
A post mortem examination is expected to take place following the investigation.
Detective Superintendent Ellie O'Connor added: "The identity (of the woman) is yet to be confirmed. We expect it to be in the next few days.
"We are still trying to establish the cause of the fire, but it appears to be an accident.
"The fire investigation team will be at the scene today trying to find out what happened."
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