One woman has died and authorities are investigating after a fire at a care home for adults with learning difficulties.

More than 70 fire fighters were called to a fire at Connington Court care home, in Connington Crescent, Chingford at around 2.15am on Friday.

Eight residents and four carers had been able to evacuate the burning building before emergency services had arrived at the scene.

However, Met Police said the body of one woman, believed to have been in her 30s, was later found inside the property.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, although Scotland Yard said it was not treating the incident as suspicious.

Chingford and Woodford Green MP, Iain Duncan Smith, said the incident was a “terrible tragedy”, which could have been worse were it not for a neighbour who called the fire brigade quickly.

“She [the neighbour] saw all the smoke coming out and saw them all running around the place,” Mr Duncan Smith said.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

More than 70 firefighters were called to the blaze (pic: PA Wire)

"She asked has anyone called the fire brigade and they said no because they didn't know what the number was.

"She called the fire brigade and it was thanks to her swift action I suspect, that not more than one life was lost."

"It's a terrible tragedy. It could have been worse.

"The fire brigade were here very quickly and thanks to the neighbour they were called, and the ambulances too, so great credit to the neighbour. She is a hero."

Two storeys of the home caught fire during the incident, destroying the roof of the building.

London Fire Brigade crews from Woodford, Chingford, Walthamstow, Enfield and Leytonstone had brought the blaze under control by around 5.25am.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Connington Crescent has been closed whil an investigation takes place

“It all happened very early in the morning, when we got here, all of the police and fire brigade were there,” one Hatch Lane shopkeeper told the Guardian Series.

“When we came it was all barricaded and about 10 or 15 staff were here standing in the street.”

The home, which caters for adults with learning disabilities and other complex needs such as epilepsy, is operated by Sequence Care Group.

It was awarded a “Good” rating by healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during its last inspection in September 2016.

Neighbour Daniela Cazacu, who discovered what had happened as she was returning home from a night shift, said: "I was phoning my husband but he didn't pick up.

“I saw lots of police and ambulances and I tried to run through but I was stopped. I was asking 'is my family there?' because all the vehicles were outside my house.

"They told me it wasn't my house, but when I got in, at 5:30am, there was lots of smoke in my house. I was so worried for my little boys."

Mr Duncan Smith said questions need to be asked to prevent another incident like this in future.

He recommended fire safety rules and procedures be made clearer by local authorities.

He said: "I know there will be an investigation into how it started. What procedures does the council have in place? Have a fire procedure pinned to the wall. First, the fire brigade needs to be called. It takes two seconds, then get everybody out.

"We need to make sure this doesn't happen again."