A house explosion in Bury, Greater Manchester has caused a woman in her 70s to be severely injured and a primary school and several homes in the area to be evacuated. The incident occurred just before 11:00 GMT on Nelson Street. According to an eyewitness, the building involved suffered catastrophic damage in the blast, with clouds of smoke billowing out into the surrounding streets. The nearby St Luke’s Primary School was emptied and parents soon arrived to collect their children.
Several fire engines and 10 police vehicles rushed to the site, with Greater Manchester Police urging local residents to leave their homes as a safety precaution. Along with the gas company, the fire department is also at the scene investigating. Gas company Cadent has not determined the cause of the explosion and has asked people not to “speculate.” They urged residents to follow the advice of emergency services.
The immediate area around the house has been closed off with a 200-meter cordon, including Gigg Lane in Fishpool which has been shutdown between Horne Street and Market Street. Bury Councillor Tamoor Tariq described the scene as “heartbreaking”, as the explosion occurred right outside his home. At the same time, Anthony Hamilton, a resident of Nelson Street, told BBC Radio Manchester that he saw bricks and smoke everywhere and surrounding homes had also been damaged in the explosion.
Bury Football Club’s Gigg Lane stadium has opened up to provide shelter to the local residents and hand out warm drinks. In the aftermath of the event, the police and emergency services have urged people to avoid the surrounding area. Cadent stresses that their immediate priority is to “keep everyone safe,” and they are doing everything possible to ensure that. Those in the area are asked to contact the BBC to provide information about the explosion if safe to do so
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