British actress Anna Karen has died following a house fire at her London home. She was 85.
The London Fire Brigadeconfirmed in a statementon Tuesday that a woman had died in a house fire that broke out around 10:30 p.m. local time on Windsor Road in Ilford.
It took less than an hour for the Brigade to get the fire under control, per the Brigade. The victim, later identified as Karen, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Karen’s agent Shane Collinstold BBC Newsthat his client “was a great actress, a great comedian and a great soul.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Collins for comment.
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Born in Durban, South Africa, Karen was best known for various roles from Aunt Sal onEastEnders, which ran through 2017, to Olive in the 1970s sitcomOn the Buses, where she became a household name, and in the revived British sitcomThe Rag Trade. She also appeared in two films from theCarry Onfranchise in 1969 and 1970.
Many of Karen’s friends paid tribute to the late actress on social media after learning of her death. Singer Cheryl Baker praised her friend as “an absolute treasure, both on and off the screen.”
“I have just heard the awful news that my fabulous mate, #AnnaKaren has died in a house fire. What an horrific way to die, I can’t bear to think about it. I adored her,“Baker, 67, wrote.
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Jake Wood also mourned Karen’s death Wednesday on Twitter. “So sad to hear of the passing of Anna Karen,“wrote the 49-year-old star. “Loved working with her, so funny and full of character RIP.”
Rita Simmons chimed in as well, calling the news “horrific and awful and so so sad.”
Officials are investigating what caused the fire.
source: people.com
