A second man was confirmed to have been injured after an explosion ripped through a house in Leeds that sent debris flying into the road.
Striking images show the first floor and roof of the property destroyed by the blast in Silk Milk Drive, Leeds.
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called at around 2.50pm on Friday to reports of an explosion and that emergency services were at the scene.
‘A male is being treated at the scene. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening,’ a spokeswoman added.
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called at around 2.50pm on Friday to reports of an explosion and that emergency services were at the scene
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called at around 2.50pm on Friday to reports of an explosion and that emergency services were at the scene
Fire crews are pictured inspecting the property after police in Leeds were called to reports of an explosion earlier in the day
Nearly all of the the semi-detached house has been destroyed by the explosion. Police said a man was treated at the scene for injuries which are not life-threatening
Allen Hart, a gas engineer who had been working at a property further up the street, said he heard ‘a really loud bang’ — causing the house to shake
Gas engineer Allen Hart had been working on a property further up the street fitting a boiler when he heard a ‘really loud bang’, causing the house he was in to shake.
The 43-year-old from Leeds said he went out to see what had caused the noise.
Describing the scene that greeted him, he said: ‘It was so shocking, it was horrendous to see, the tiles from the roof had blown up in the air and had come down and stuck into the grass.
The gas engineer said that he could see a person lying on the grass outside the property and that he could also smell gas
When fire crews arrived at the scene in West Yorkshire they had to drive their engine over tyles and debris that was sent flying by the explosion
Emergency services at the scene of the explosion this evening. The blast completely destroyed the upper floor and roof of the house
Having worked as a gas engineer for 28 years Mr Hart said he was ‘totally shocked’, adding: ‘I have never seen or experienced anything like that before
‘It is certainly a very, very shocking experience. I just hope that they are all OK,’ the engineer added
‘All the roof was in the road, when the fire brigade came they had to drive over it. It was like a war zone.’
He said there was someone injured lying down on the grass, he could see water ‘squirting out’, and he could smell gas, prompting him to call the gas emergency services straightaway.
‘It is certainly a very, very shocking experience. I just hope that they are all OK.’