Six people injured in shop blast

Six people were injured, two of them critically, after a suspected explosion and subsequent fire destroyed a shop.

Police declared a major incident after the blast on Hinckley Road, Leicester just after 7pm last night.

Video taken at the scene showed flames billowing into the night sky.

The building appears to have stood next to a shop called TJ’s Takeaway.

Six casualties were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, the hospital said.

A spokesman added: “Two of these patients are in a critical condition, while four are walking wounded.”

Speaking to Sky News, Kat Pattinson, who lives on the same road as the fire, said: “We are down the same street – about 500m from where the blast has taken place and our whole house shook.

“We checked on our children first and foremost and then we went outside.

“There is just an awful lot of smoke here at the moment and the whole area is cordoned off.”

She added that the shop is usually open until about 9pm on a Sunday and has a flat above it.

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 couldn’t believe it, it was like a Hollywood movie.”

Picture: PA. A video grab of the scene in Leicester after a major incident was declared by police after the explosion.