The owner of a Plaistow takeaway destroyed in a fire last week said she has been left heartbroken since the incident.

Emergency services were called to Karachi Karahi, a takeaway shop in Barking Road, after it went up in flames in the early hours of Wednesday morning last week.

Farah Memon, who owns the takeaway with her husband, said “it was the worst thing that could have happened,” adding: “We have lost our only source of income. My husband has been on the internet looking for jobs. All of a sudden our lives have turned into an emotional rollercoaster.”

The family, from Ilford, brought the restaurant 12 years ago.

Farah said:“We have a number of residents who are very pleasant with us and they have also been left astonished with what happened.

“It’s horrifying to think that it’s all gone now. The kitchen has been totally destroyed, the fridge completely blew up.

“It will definitely take a long while to get everything sorted now, we’re going through a very tough time in our lives.”

Ten people living in flats above the restaurant managed to evacuate the building before the Brigade arrived at about 2am.

They were alerted to the blaze through smoke alarms sounding in their homes.

Passing police officers raised the alarm after spotting smoke outside the building.

Four fire engines and around 21 firefighters and officers from Plaistow, Stratford, Poplar and Shadwell fire stations attended the incident.

Nobody was injured and the fire was brought under control by about 3am.