’13 dead and nothing said’ – 40 years since the New Cross fire tragedy
40 years ago yesterday, on 18 January 1981, thirteen Black young people were killed at a birthday party held at a house in New Cross, southeast London. The victims names are as follows: Andrew Gooding, Owen Thompson, Patricia Johnson, Patrick Cummings, Steve Collins, Lloyd Hall, Humphrey Geoffrey Brown, Roseline Henry, Peter Campbell, Gerry Paul Francis, Glenton Powell, Paul Ruddock, and Yvonne Ruddock. Over 50 people were injured. Two years later Anthony Berbeck who also attended the party died after falling from a block of council flats in South London on July 9, 1983. The coroner at the second inquest into the fire said Berbeck died “following the trauma…