Four critically ill after explosion

Four people were critically ill in hospital last night and a “major incident” was declared by police following an explosion at a shop in Leicester.

Residents living close to a store on Hinkley Road – about a mile from the city centre – reported their houses shaking shortly after 7pm.

Photographs of the shop showed flames erupting from the roof and smoke billowing into the road. Rubble was left strewn across four lanes of traffic.

About 60 houses in the immediate area were evacuated, and a police cordon was put in place. A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue said six fire engines had been sent to the scene.

She said officers were involved in a “search and rescue” operation, as the affected property was a two-floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a “pancake collapse”.

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

One video clip appeared to show emergency services rushing to the aid of someone close to where the blast occurred.

The cause of the explosion had not been determined last night, but was not believed to be terrorism-related.