28 February 2024 , 12:40
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A terraced house has been destroyed in a suspected gas blast that left a woman in hospital and multiple homes evacuated.
A woman in her 70s was seriously injured in the explosion, which reduced the neighbouring homes to rubble. Emergency services descended on Nelson Street, in Bury, Greater Manchester, shortly before 11am today.
Pictures show clouds of smoke billowing across nearby streets with the terraced red-brick house severely damaged and its wooden roof beams exposed. Drone footage shows substantial damage to two neighbouring properties, with local residents told to keep their windows shut.
The road was cordoned off with a number of properties evacuated, and a nearby primary school also evacuated pupils as a precaution. Some residents began to return to their homes on Thursday evening.
The explosion ripped through a terraced home (Facebook)
The street was left filled with smoke (Facebook)Local councillor Tamoor Tariq wrote on social media: “Heartbreaking to share there has been a gas explosion in the last few minutes right across from my house.
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"I understand everyone has been taken into a place of safety and emergency services are doing all possible to deal with this awful situation. St Luke's primary have also evacuated children, as they are just yards away. I remain out of the country due to a family member being critical, but I am keeping in touch with all relevant people/authorities."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “Emergency services are currently responding to reports of an explosion at a property on Nelson Street in the Fishpool area of Bury. At this stage, a woman in her 70s has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. A 200m cordon is in place around the property and neighbouring homes. Local residents and the community will be informed if they need to take any further action.”
Aerial pictures show the extent of the damage to the houses (William Lailey / SWNS)Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said “multiple” fire engines were sent to the scene, along with specialist rescue units. Bury Council wrote on X: “We are aware of a fire on Nelson Street in Fishpool. Devon Street, Gigg Lane and Nelson Street are closed while @manchesterfire are at the scene. Due to the amount of smoke residents are asked to keep their windows closed.”
The explosion left a home in ruins
Fire crews and specialist rescue units have been working at the scene (MEN Media)One man living next door to the house at the centre of the investigation said he and his family feared they were going to die in the moments that followed the explosion. Mushtaq Anwar, his wife, his daughter, 21, and son, 17, were in their end terrace house on Nelson Street, Bury, at the time of the blast.
He was in the bathroom and his son was asleep when he heard a 'loud explosion' at about 11.05am. The family was upstairs and tried to escape by running out of the front door, but found it had 'collapsed' and was barricaded by bricks.
The house was reduced to rubble (MEN Media)Mr Anwar said: "It was like an earthquake. All of the house was shaking and moving up and down. We all ran down towards the front door, but it had collapsed and was blocked by bricks. There was no way out. I thought we were going to die. We managed to run out of the back door. As we came out, we saw the wreckage. Within a minute, there was a huge fire coming from next door."
His Toyota Corolla was crushed by bricks blown out during the blast. "I have lost my house and car," he added. "I'm a taxi driver so that car is my livelihood. I'm in shock." Bury FC have said their Gigg Lane ground will be open today to "offer a brew" to people affected by the incident, which took place nearby.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed (William Lailey / SWNS)Some people living on the road told local media they smelt gas at the time of the explosion, though distribution company Cadent have said it is "too early" to confirm what caused it. Phil Hendrick, head of customer operations, commented: "My teams are in attendance at the incident in Bury. As the gas emergency service for the area, we are assisting the multi-agency response, as is routine in incidents like this.
"It is too early to say what caused this and we would ask people to avoid speculating. The priority right now is to keep everyone safe, which is why I would ask that people follow guidance offered by police and the fire and rescue service. We will make sure everything associated with gas on site is safe. If you smell gas, here or anywhere, always call the national gas emergency service on 0800 111 999 immediately, day or night."