Title : Four dead after Leicester shop explosion
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Four dead after Leicester shop explosion
- Four people have died in hospital after an explosion tore through a Leicester grocery store last night
- Six people were taken to hospital to be treated for their injuries and one remains in critical condition
- Police and fire brigade chiefs said there could be more survivors trapped inside the wreckage of the building
- Locals dug through rubble with bare hands before emergency workers arrived and declared a 'major incident'
- Footage posted online showed flames shooting 50ft into the air as the wreckage of the shop caught fire
- The grocery shop and next-door takeaway were open when the blast occurred at 7:20pm yesterday evening
- Leicestershire Police said that the cause of the explosion is being investigated but no indication of terror link
Four people have died after after a huge explosion demolished a grocery store and the flat above it in Leicester.
Passers-by dug through the burning wreckage of Western Park Stores with their bare hands as emergency services raced to the scene, with flames shooting 50ft into the air.
The cause of the explosion, which occurred at 7:20pm last night while the grocery shop and its neighbouring takeaway restaurant and bar were open, remained a mystery today with gas engineers on site.
Six people were taken to hospital and this morning it emerged that four have died, while one person remains in critical condition.
Police and fire chiefs revealed they are still searching for 'missing' people, who remain unaccounted for, and may still be trapped in the building.
Firefighters continued to battle the flames this morning and they cannot enter the site to search the wreckage for survivors until it is deemed safe.
Leicestershire Police, who had earlier declared a 'major incident', said nothing 'at this stage' linked it to terrorism.
Firefighters continued to battle the flames this morning (pictured) and they cannot enter the site to search the wreckage for survivors until it is deemed safe
The cause of the explosion, which occurred at 7:20pm last night while the grocery shop and its neighbouring takeaway restaurant and bar were open, remained a mystery today with gas engineers on site
In the aftermath of the explosion, with rubble all over the street, shocked witnesses beginning the task of searching the wreckage for survivors
Superintendent Shane O'Neill of Leicestershire Police and Matt Cane, Group Manager of the fire brigade, speak to the media this morning
Superintendent Shane O'Neill said: 'There are a large number of resources from various agencies at the scene in Hinckley Road and they are expected to be in place throughout the day.
'We know the explosion and subsequent fire will have caused considerable concern to residents and business owners in the area and we would like to thank people for their support and patience while teams continue with their work at the scene.
'There are four confirmed fatalities at this stage and a number of people still undergoing treatment in hospital. The building consisted of a shop premises on the ground level and a two-storey flat above it. We believe there may be people who have not yet been accounted for and rescue efforts continue in order to locate any further casualties.
'Once the site is deemed to be safe a joint investigation with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service will begin looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident, which at this stage are not being linked to terrorism.'
Electricity to a number of homes was affected by the incident and a cordon was put in place, but no neighbouring properties were evacuated overnight. Matt Cane, Group Manager, said: 'Crews have worked through the night, alongside partner agencies, as they continue to search the scene in order to try and locate any further survivors or casualties.
'We have six fire crews on scene, including a specialist search and rescue team who are supported by two search dogs, and this level of resourcing is likely to be in place throughout the day.
'The cause of the explosion and fire is still yet to be determined and we will work closely with colleagues from the police as our enquiries into the circumstances continue today.'
Police and fire chiefs revealed they are still searching for 'missing' people, who remain unaccounted for, and may still be trapped in the building. Pictured are firefighters at the scene this morning
The scene on Hinckley Road, Leicester, where firefighters continue to battle flames after an explosion at a shop
A Leicestershire Police statement read: 'Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service and Leicestershire Police responded to reports of an explosion and fire at a building in Hinckley Road at about 7pm.
'Emergency services remain at the scene this morning, searching the collapsed property and conducting enquiries in the area.
'At this stage, there are four confirmed fatalities and four people remain in hospital, one with serious injuries.
'Hinckley Road, from its junction with Bolton Road to its junction with Woodville Road, is closed in both directions and motorists are advised to avoid the area and listen to local traffic reports for up-to-date information on road closures.'
The first emergency services on the scene were met with devastation as flames took hold of the wrecked grocery shop
Emergency services combing the rubble and six people were taken to hospital. The rescue operation continued all night
Firefighters remained at the scene in bitter temperatures into the early hours as the wreckage continued to smolder
Photos (left) show the destruction caused by the explosion with the convenience store and the flat above it both reduced to rubble. Right, how the store looked before the explosion
Smoke continued to rise from the destroyed shop hours after the explosion as emergency workers began to probe the cause
Witnesses described the scene of devastation that greeted them after the blast echoed through the heavily populated area.
Savannah George, 17, was working next door at TJ's Takeaway with her boss when she heard the 'massive explosion'.
She told Mirror Online: 'I just saw a load of rubble coming down. The ceiling in the shop next to me collapsed. If I was 50cm to the left, the rubble would have fallen on me.
'The takeaway boxes flew off the wall from the force and the ceiling in our store partially collapsed.'
The teenager said it was her first week on the job. She said: 'I just saw everything flying at me.'
BBC journalist John Alexander, who lives 80 yards away, said: 'I thought my house was going to fall down on top of me and all my neighbours have said the same thing. I saw one guy get pulled out and he'll be very lucky if he wasn't killed.'
Another local tweeted: 'The Polish shop next to the bus stop has blown up. Avoid the area. Roads closed and lots of sirens in attendance. Smoke everywhere.'
It is understood the shop had been a Polish delicatessen in recent years, before briefly becoming part of the Londis chain and then in recent months reopening under new ownership.
The shop was believed to have been open at the time and at least two workers were inside.
Farrah Alli Hameed, 30, said: 'My friend Aram opened the shop only a month ago, he and another owner.
The cause of the explosion is unclear at the present time but emergency services are still at the scene and treating it as a major incident
The entire building completely collapsed in the blast, with the wreckage and debris seen strewn around nearby roads
'I know he was away but there was two girls who worked there and I'm worried one may be in the rubble.
'One was part time and one full time - it's such a tragedy, I came here hoping to help but because of the cordon I can't do much.
'I'm not sure if it was a gas explosion, maybe something to do with the electric as they had a lot of spirits in there.
'It must have been about 7pm and everything in the house shook. As we looked outside the window to see what had happened there were police everywhere. I know that shop and I've been told it just went in the blink of an eye.'
Tracey Bradshaw, 56, said she saw as many as five people desperately trying to move rubble from the site of the explosion, while others were 'running and screaming' away from the scene.
Hours after the blast was first reported, emergency service workers could be seen putting out fires and shifting through the rubble
Members of the emergency services can be seen as they work to clear away the rubble at the site of the explosion which destroyed a convenience store
Ms Bradshaw told MailOnline: 'When I arrived at the scene there were people trying to move bricks so I assume there must have been people inside. The street and road was absolutely covered with bricks and rubble. Cars might even have been hit from the explosion as well.
'It shook the whole house. We were there in a couple of minutes, but we can't see anything now as the shop is on the other. A girl was being helped across the road by another person.'
She added that the building was not initially on fire following the explosion, but caught alight around ten minutes after the bang, which is when people moving the debris from the site were forced to move back.
Mother Cat Pattinson told Sky News that her entire house shook after the explosion and she was left fearing for her two children.
'It definitely felt like an explosion had taken place,' she said. 'The building doesn't seem to be there anymore it was a store with a flat on top of it. It looks like the whole thing has gone.
'The store itself is open till 9pm on a Sunday so I don't think it's going to be good news.'
Tracey Bradshaw told the MailOnline that the emergency services were quick to respond to the explosion and arrived within minutes
A Leicester Fire and Rescue spokesman said it was a 'pancake collapse' with floors of the building cascading down on top of each other.
All six casualties have been taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, the ambulance service said in a tweet.
Two of the injured people were in a critical condition while the other four were walking wounded.
A hazardous area response team and ambulance crews remained at the scene early today, the local NHS trust said. At 4.45am, police tweeted that they were 'still at the scene as the search and rescue operation continues through the night and into the morning'.
Debris from the explosion was strewn across both carriageways on Hinckley Road, with a bus stop immediately outside the devastated shop left a mangled wreck.
Eye-witness Tahir Khan said: 'I was driving past when it happened.
'Loads of people were gathered and there was gas and flames coming out of the building.
'I looked on the road and half the building was on the road. Literally the whole of the side of the building had been blown out.
'I couldn't believe it, it was like a Hollywood movie.'
Beverley Kirk, who lives on a street adjacent to where the explosion took place, told the Mail Online that the whole house shook when the explosion took place
Dozens of emergency workers, including six fire engines, had rushed to the scene. Police and fire fighters remained at the scene into the early hours as smoke and steam continued to rise from the rubble.
In the immediate aftermath, Leicestershire Police tweeted: There has been a major incident on Hinckley Road, Leicester. All emergency services are currently dealing with this. Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed Please avoid the area.'
A person living nearby told the MailOnline: 'There were a loud bang and houses began to shake, there were tons of smoke and fire'
Shocked locals took to social media to share their shock at the explosion, with a number of images shared on Twitter and Facebook
And in the early hours they added: 'The cause of the explosion will be the subject of a joint investigation by the police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service.
'We would ask that the media and public do not speculate about the circumstances surrounding the incident but at this stage there is no indication this is terrorist related.'
A spokesman for Cadent, the company that operates Britain's gas network, said: 'Our engineers have been called to assist the emergency services dealing with the incident in Hinckley Road, Leicester. The cause is unknown and our priority is to assist the emergency services in making sure everyone is safe.'
Liz Kendall, MP for Leicester West, took to Twitter to express her thoughts and prayers to the people injured in the explosion, and a tweet from Leicestershire police confirmed the explosion
This photo shows a massive explosion in Leicester, with police warning that there has been a major incident on Hickley Road, after a convenience store blew up
Photos and footage from the scene on Hinckley road show police tape blocking access to the site of the 'massive explosion'
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