Heysham, Lancashire, gas explosion: what we know so far

Lancashire Fire said in a tweet units were called to a row of terraced houses on Mallowdale Avenue in the early hours of Sunday and that firefighters are searching a collapsed property.

Lancashire Police said a safety cordon has been put in place and nearby residents have been evacuated.

A statement 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."

Speaking to the BBC at the scene in Heysham, Joe Edwards, Assistant Chief Constable of Lancashire Police, said: "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."

Susan Faulkner, 74, who lives down the road from the site of the Heysham explosion 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 told the PA news agency.

"The sound really shook me, I'm still quite shaken by it. I've never experienced that before.
"It was like a bomb going off, it was that kind of impact."

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."