Major incident as huge blast reduces house to rubble after gas explosion as neighbours evacuated
A MAJOR incident has been declared after a huge gas explosion reduced a house to rubble – as neighbours were evacuated.
Cops and fire services raced to the scene in Nottinghamshire at around 7.30pm on Saturday, where they found the terraced home collapsed.
Damage was also discovered at neighbouring properties following the blast in Worksop.
Multiple houses have been evacuated and several roads closed, Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed.
The force added that it was working to “account for all local residents” – and warned nearby residents to stay clear of the surrounding area.
In a statement, Chief Inspector Neil Humphris said officers would stay on-site overnight.
He said: “This is 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.”
Fire crews from Warsop, Worksop, Mansfield Fire Station and Clowne Fire Station are all at the scene.
A Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue (NFRS) spokesperson said late on Saturday: “This has now been declared a major incident, and we are likely to be on scene throughout the night and even into Sunday morning.”
In an earlier statement, they said: “Firefighters are currently dealing with a gas explosion on John Street, Worksop.
“Fire crews from Warsop, Worksop and Mansfield Fire Station as well as Clowne Fire Station (Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service) are currently in attendance following the initial call at 7:39pm this evening.
“We ask that the public to avoid the area whilst crews do their work.”
The service said it was also called to a separate incident nearby shortly after the explosion – but does not believe the two are connected.
An industrial fire broke out on Holgate Road in The Meadows, Nottingham, at around 9pm.
Ten fire engines were dispatched to the scene, according to the NFRS.
A spokesperson said: “The building has been severely damaged but there are no reports of any injuries.”
At around 11pm, group manager Leigh Holmes added: “We will begin to relax the cordon in the next hour as we continue to scale down this incident.”