Massive Gas Explosion Kills One Child, Injures 4 in The UK

A child has died and four people have been injured after a suspected gas explosion in Lancashire last night completely destroyed two terraced houses and badly damaged a third.  

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Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said 10 units were called to a row of homes on Mallowdale Avenue in Heysham at around 2.30am on Sunday and that a major incident has been declared.

Firefighters are investigating the cause of the blast, while police put a safety cordon in place and began evacuating nearby residents of the town, which is some 25 miles north-east of Blackpool.  

Dan Knowles, who lives four streets away, said he thought there had been an earthquake. 'My wife and I thought there was an earthquake which woke us, the whole house shook,' he told the PA news agency. 

'We immediately checked on our kids and got back in bed. We then heard sirens and my wife checked Facebook, when we found out that there'd been a gas explosion. We stayed indoors and switched everything off at the source and then sat up all night worrying.' 

Another neighbour, Susan Faulkner, said it was 'like a bomb going off' and that she still felt shaken. 'I woke up with this huge bang and I thought someone was breaking into my house,' she said. 'The sound really shook me, I'm still quite shaken by it. I've never experienced that before.' 

Attending the scene of the explosion, Assistant Chief Constable Joe Edwards of Lancashire Police told the BBC: 'Shortly after 2.40am this morning emergency services were called to residential properties following a report of a large explosion at the address.

'There is significant damage to the houses, at least two have been destroyed and a third is significantly damaged. As a consequence of that a number of people have been injured.

'Tragically a young child has been killed as a consequence of what has happened and the thoughts of myself and all the emergency services are with the family at what is a distressing time. Our thoughts are also with those individuals who have been affected by this incident. 

'The information as we know it is that there are four persons that have also been injured in the incident, two of which are seriously injured and two others who remain under medical assessment. There is a multi-agency response in place. At the moment we are in the search and rescue phase. 

'Our officers across all the agencies are working hard to make the area safe, not only for those in the immediate area but in the local community. That work will continue throughout the day after which we will give you further information in due course.' 

Emilie Downie, 18, said: 'It was the loudest bang I've ever heard in my life.I was in bed when I heard a flash. I thought it might have been from the power station nearby. Within five minutes the police, ambulance and fire services were here. People were screaming.  

'It is terrible and so sad that the little boy has lost his life. It's devastating.'

One neighbour said: 'We heard a big bang at 2.30am when we were in bed. 'We looked out of the window to see what was going on and were concerned because our daughter's house was close to the blast.

'When we got out, I saw the devastation. It was awful.'

Rachel Smith, 42, said: 'It seemed like a bomb going off as the whole bed shook. I thought the bed was going to go through the floor. I jumped out of bed and looked outside.

'It was awful. There was rubble everywhere. Then we heard that the little boy had died.' Bricks and roof tiles were strewn across streets around 300 yards away.

Incident Commander Martin Dillon said: 'We were called in the hours of the morning to a building collapse and mobilised 10 appliances and at his height 50 firefighters.

'Upon arrival we found three properties involved in the blast had collapsed with the explosion. The scenes were devastating but we focussed on rescuing those trapped.

'The cause of the blast is still being investigated and search dogs will be going to the site.'

Ms Faulkner said that her own Heysham property and others in the immediate area had been damaged in the 'devastating' explosion. 'It was quite a blast, I live quite way down there and part of my side door was blown in, my next door neighbour's plates were smashed,' she said.

'There's been lots and lots of people and police around and everyone trying to help everybody else. 

'I've seen some horrific photographs.There's debris everywhere, all on the next streets and in the fields. I think there's a bit on my roof as well. So far, so good; I've been very lucky, when I see what those poor souls have had happen to them it's devastating. I'm really sad for those people, it's such a sad thing to happen to them.' 

MP David Morris, who represents Morecambe and Lunesdale, said on Twitter: 'My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families on Mallowdale Avenue following the incident this morning. Thank you to all of the emergency services who are currently on the scene.' 

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement today: 'Ten fire engines were called to reports of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Avenue in Morecambe. 

'Upon arrival firefighters found that two terraced houses had collapsed and a third was seriously damaged, and a major incident was declared. 

'Firefighters rescued five people from the site. Four adults are being treated in hospital and one person, a child, tragically died. Our thoughts are with the family and all those injured at this time. 

'Two fire engines, the urban search and rescue unit, search and rescue dogs and the air support unit remain at the incident. Search operations continue and we are working with partners to make the area safe and investigate the cause of the explosion.

'A number of people have been evacuated from their homes and a safety cordon is in place. Road closures are also in place and people are being asked to avoid the area.'  

Lancashire Constabulary earlier confirmed that a young child was killed in the blast and that four other people have been injured, two seriously.

The force said: 'We remain at scene of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Ave, Heysham, which has caused two houses to collapse and badly damaged another. Sadly, we can now confirm a young child has died and four other people have been injured, two seriously. Our thoughts are with all those affected.' 

A neighbour whose home was close to the blast said: 'We are all fine just shaken and worried about the house as we have no door or windows and the roof's damaged.'

Another neighbour told the Mirror: 'It's blown my windows, front door and roof.'

Taxi driver Anthony Davis, 58, called the blast 'like a minor earthquake', telling the Mirror that his caravan shook a quarter of a mile away. 

'From what we gather it's taken two or three houses with it,' he said. 'We live a quarter of a mile away and it shook our caravan - we thought something had hit it.

'We've got our little granddaughters staying overnight. We didn't know what it was.'

The North West Ambulance Service tweeted that it had also sent units to the scene, with a priority to 'ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible'.

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The Service tweeted: 'Following reports of an explosion on Mallowdale Avenue, #Heysham, we have resources at the scene and we are working with @LancashireFRS and @LancsPolice'.

Electricity North West tweeted that it had paused electricity supplies to the area for safety reasons while the blast was being investigated. 

This article has been adapted from its original source.