One child is killed and four people injured after devastating ‘gas’ explosion in Lancashire

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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.  

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. 

Several residents had tweeted that up to three houses had collapsed and that emergency services sirens had been heard near the scene of the explosion for a prolonged time. 

In a statement on Twitter this morning, Lancashire Constabulary 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.’

Several residents previously tweeted that up to three houses had collapsed, and that emergency services sirens had been heard near the scene of the explosion for a prolonged time. 

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.’

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.’ 

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.’ 

In a statement shortly after the blast, a spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary said: ‘We are currently at the scene of a suspected gas explosion on Littledale Avenue, Heysham.

‘A safety cordon has been put in place and nearby residents have been evacuated. We are asking people to please avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident.’ 

Describing the suspected gas explosion, local resident Knowles tweeted: ‘There’s been a terrible explosion on Mallowdale Ave in #Heysham sounds disastrous, 3 houses collapsed, praying for everyone.

‘We woke about 2:30am and thought it was an earthquake at first. We’re about 4 streets up in Heysham and could feel it.’

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’.

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.