A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl has died after a flat fire in Belvedere this morning (October 27).

The girl, her three-year-old brother and her mother, who is in her 20s, were taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, after the blaze in the first-floor flat in Clive Road.

The girl died shortly after arriving at hospital.

The boy and the woman remain in a critical condition.

Firefighters from Erith were called to the incident at around 2.46am and had the fire under control by 3.33am.

Betty Osman, who lives in the downstairs flat, said she was woken at 2.45am by the sound of the children screaming.

After realising the upstairs flat was on fire, she and another neighbour dialled 999.

She said the family of four had lived in the flat for about a year.

A third child, a boy of about 10, was away from the flat last night.

She described the dead child, whose name was Tiffany, as "a sweet little girl".

She added: "It has been very upsetting."

Her own home escaped the blaze, although it has suffered some water damage.

A 25-year-old local resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It was about 2.50am and I heard her screaming.

"You could hear the panic in her voice.

"It is awful. Everyone is devastated.

"It's just a really tragic accident.

"The mum and the little boy are in hospital and hopefully they will pull through but we will have to wait and see."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Do you know the people who live in the flat? Did you see the fire? Call the newsroom on 01689 885725 or email News Shopper.