26 Feb 2018

Explosion in British city triggers police alert

11:51 am on 26 February 2018

Four people have been taken to hospital after reports of an explosion and a fire in the British city of Leicester.

A building, which housed a convenience store, appears to have been flattened by a blast - the current cause of which is unknown - and a huge fire can be seen from many miles away

The shop was situated behind a bus stop and had an upstairs flat.

Police said four injured people have been pulled out of the building and are now in hospital.

Police declared a "major incident" after reports of an explosion just after 7pm local time.

Emergency services said they were conducting a search and rescue operation at the scene.

Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed and police are asking people to avoid the area.

Six fire engines have been at the scene, Leicestershire Police said. Flames could be seen rising from a building in the middle of a parade of shops.

BBC journalist John Alexander said the explosion had "blown debris and rubble across four lanes of traffic".

He said the emergency services had cordoned off about 60 houses in the area and people had been evacuated because of an "enormous" fire.

A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said they were involved in a "search and rescue" operation.

The affected property was a two-floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a "pancake collapse", she said.

Alpana Marwaha, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "I heard a bang and the house shook. We could see the flames.

"You can still see the smoke coming, and the emergency services. There are few shops there and it is surrounded by houses," she added.

She said that it was worrying being so close to the explosion and she hoped the authorities would establish its cause.

Pictures and video shared on social media appeared to show a shop engulfed in flames and the blaze visible from a distance.

- BBC