British police arrest three suspects in an explosion, killing two, including a seven-year-old

Three people have been arrested in Britain over an explosion that killed two people, including a young boy. File photo by Andy Rain/EPA

“This was a truly tragic incident in which two people lost their lives,” Northumbria police officer Kate Smith told the BBC.

The three men remain in police custody.

They were arrested on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter and the production of cannabis, which is classified as a “Class B” drug in the UK, according to local Northumbria police.

This reportedly forced more than 120 civilians from their homes and sent three adults to hospital, leaving one with “serious” injuries.

An official from the Tyne and Wear Local Fire and Rescue Service, who was at the scene about half an hour after the fatal incident, described it as the “most challenging” incident the department has faced in years.

Meanwhile, Northumbria Police urged the public on social media to avoid rumors and speculation surrounding the incident both online and in the local community.

The young victim’s parents and brother, who was two months old at the time, were treated in hospital and released soon afterwards.

The family moved to the Benwell House in the British county of Tyne and Wear in northeast England – Scotland shortly after Archie’s birth seven years ago. British news media reported that young Archie learned to swim and enjoyed playing the violin as a primary school student.

Archie was a “loving boy who had a cheeky grin on his face all the time,” his aunt Abbie York told the BBC.