UPDATE: 8.05pm

UPDATE: 5.02pm

A spokesman for Wales & West Utilities said:

“We were alerted to a fire at a flat in St. Dials, Cwmbran, this morning, and sent engineers to the scene.

“The fire had damaged the properties gas supply pipe, and working with South Wales Fire & Rescue Service we made the gas supply safe."

He added: “The public gas network was not affected by this incident.”

UPDATE: 5.00pm

Local residents said they were woken up by "screaming and shouting" at around 6.40am this morning.

 

UPDATE: 4.45PM.

Our reporter Chris Seal is at the scene.

UPDATE: 4.04pm

Superintendent Marc Budden makes a statement to the press at Shakespeare Road.

 

UPDATE: 3.52pm

Gwent police and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have made official statements at the scene of the incident on Shakespeare Road.
Superintendent Marc Budden said: "We were called at 6.43am this morning to a fire at an address on Shakespeare Road, St Dials, Cwmbran.

"A female was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.  She can now be named as 29-year-old Samantha Thomas from Cwmbran.

"A 49-year-old man from Cwmbran, was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital with smoke inhalation, and has since been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"The address affected was one of a block of four flats.  The remaining flats have been evacuated, and our emergency planning department is working with the local authority and Bron Afon Community Housing to arrange alternative accommodation for them.

"We remain at the scene with the fire service to undertake further enquiries.

"Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call 101 quoting log 33 19/05/15."

Ian Greenman, area manager from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, also read a statement.

He said: "I wish to extend my sympathies on behalf of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to the family and friends of the individual who sadly lost their life today.

"We are now working closely with our Gwent Police colleagues to carry out a full investigation and await the outcomes of this inquiry.

"I would also like to thank the firefighters from our Cwmbran, Malpas and New Inn stations for their sterling efforts in dealing with this incident under difficult circumstances."

 

UPDATE: 2.37pm

A 49-year-old man from Cwmbran has been arrested on suspicion of murder after this morning's fatal fire.

The man was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after the blaze in which a woman died.

She has now be named as 29-year-old Samantha Thomas from Cwmbran.

 

The address affected was one of a block of four flats. The remaining flats have been evacuated, and our Emergency Planning department is working with the local authority and Bron Afon Community Housing to arrange alternative accommodation for them.

We remain at the scene with the Fire Service to undertake further enquiries.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call 101 quoting log 33 19/05/15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Argus reporter Carys Thomas is at the scene:

 

UPDATE: 12.06PM

Duncan Forbes, chief executive of Bron Afon, who owned the flats, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who  died this morning. We have found alternative accommodation for seven residents who were evacuated and will be offering any help needed by the police and fire service in their investigation. One resident said they have found somewhere to stay.”

 

UPDATE: 11.20AM

BRON  Afon have confirmed they own the property involved in the fire.

A spokeswoman said the building contains four flats-two on the top floor and two on the bottom floor.

Gwent Police have said those living in the remaining flats have been evacuated, and their Emergency Planning department is working with the local authority and housing association to arrange alternative accommodation for them.

It is not yet known how many people live in the building.

 

 

UPDATE: 10:27AM

A FIRE SERVICE spokesman said the gas board attended the property earlier today to secure the internal gas supply and plan to return at 3pm today to secure the external gas supply as a safety measure.

UPDATE 10.17AM

GWENT Police have confirmed a woman has died at the scene.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "We were called at 6.43am this morning to a fire at an address on Shakespeare Road, St Dials, Cwmbran.

"A female has pronounced dead at the scene, and one man has been taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital with smoke inhalation.

"The address affected was one of a block of four flats.  The remaining flats have been evacuated, and our Emergency Planning department is working with the local authority and housing association to arrange alternative accommodation for them."

Police and the Fire Service are currently undertaking further enquiries to establish the cause of the fire.

No road closures are in place, however, traffic disruption in the area should be expected.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call 101 quoting log 33 19/05/15.

 

 

UPDATE: 10.06AM

A MAN has been taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 6.56am this morning, Tuesday 19 May, to a fire at an address on Shakespeare Road in the St Dials area of Cwmbran. We sent an emergency ambulance, two rapid response cars and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene. A man with smoke inhalation was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital.”

A fire service spokesman confirmed residents were present in the building at the time of the blaze .

The blaze is now out, with crews recieving a stop message at 9.05am.

Around 19 fire fighters were called to the fire on the first floor of the two-storey residential building at 6.38am and 15 fire fighters remain on scene.

Shakespeare Road is still closed in both directions between Greenmeadow Way and Blenheim Road shut and police are directing traffic. There are no estimates as to how long the road will remain closed but no major delays have been reported.

A fire service investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the fire.

UPDATE: 9.10AM

CREWS are tackling a flat fire on Shakespeare Road St Dials, Cwmbran.

The road is shut while crews from Malpas, New Inn and two crews from Cwmbran tackle the blaze.

Four breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, two thermal image cameras and two safety jets are in use.

 Crews were called to the two-storey residential building at 6.38am and remain on scene.

The road is shut and police are directing traffic.

The fire service could not confirm the cause of the fire.