Overview
- Emergency services responded to a house fire on Cragside Avenue and rescued people from the property after an emergency call was logged at 03:27.
- A man in his 40s and a woman in her 70s were found inside and pronounced dead while a second man in his 70s was taken to hospital for treatment.
- Fire, police and ambulance crews including HART teams and support from the Great North Air Ambulance were deployed to the scene and firefighters reported heavy damage to the roof and windows.
- Authorities have evacuated two neighbouring homes, kept a police cordon and closed a section of road while enquiries remain at an early stage.
- Detective Inspector Barry McAtominey said investigators from Northumbria Police and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are working to establish the cause and asked anyone with information to contact police quoting reference NP-20260701-0129.