Three people remain in hospital following Lechlade boat explosion
Two victims - including an 18-month-old - may have "life-changing" burns
Three people currently remain in hospital after an explosion on a boat in Lechlade near Swindon.
Officers from Wiltshire Police were called to a boat fire taking place on the River Thames at around midday on Saturday (May 31st).
When officers arrived at the riverbank, they found that a boat had drifted from the edge and was now in the middle of the river on fire - resulting in all nine people on the boat having to go into the water.
All nine victims were taken to hospital after being rescued from the water; now, an update from the police has found that three people currently remain in hospital.
Of the three in hospital, two people - including an 18-month-child currently remain in a stable condition, though may have suffered what officers described as "potentially life-changing burns".
A police cordon currently remains in place while Wiltshire Police continue their investigations into how the fire started. They are also attempted to retrieve the boat from the river itself to carry out forensic enquiries.
Speaking on the incident, Detective Superintendent Joe Garrity from the force said it was miraculous that there were no deaths following the explosion.
He went on to praise the response from two holidaymakers from Wales who had spotted the boat on fire and raised the alarm.
"With no thought for their own safety, they jumped into the Thames to help save the lives of those involved, some of whom couldn’t swim," he said. “It was heroic bravery."
He added that the cordon around the section of the river will remain "for the next few days" while emergency services carry out their investigations.
Meanwhile, an appeal remains open for anyone who may have any relevant information to reach out and call 101, quoting incident reference number 129 from May 31st.