A major incident has been declared following a suspected gas explosion at a home in Nottinghamshire on Saturday evening that partly destroyed the property.
Nearby homes in Worksop were evacuated as fire crews and the East Midlands ambulance service worked to account for all residents. On Saturday night, it was unclear if the blast had caused any casualties.
Images circulating on social media appeared to show a severely damaged terrace house. The entire length of the house appears to have been destroyed, with bricks covering part of the street in front, in footage of the scene shared online.
One Facebook user reporting hearing a “a terrific bang, like a very loud firework” while driving in the area.
Karolina Ciolko, who lives near the scene, told the BBC she heard an explosion and looked out of the window. “I saw smoke and the car in front of me rocked and the alarm went off,” she said.
Police Ch Insp Neil Humphris said: “This is a major incident and emergency services will remain at the scene throughout the night. Multiple properties have been evacuated as we work with our partners to respond to this incident and understand how it happened.”
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Nottinghamshire fire and rescue service said it received its first report about the incident in John Street at 7.39pm on Saturday. Firefighters from four stations were sent to the scene.
A statement from the fire service said: “This has now been declared a major incident, and we are likely to be on scene throughout the night and even into Sunday morning, owing to the significant damage to the building.”
The nearby Crown Place community centre has been opened as a place of safety for residents, with officers remaining on scene to provide assistance.
The public has been asked to avoid the area.
With Press Association
