Praise for 999 crews after huge explosion leaves five people dead
Cause of blast may take days to determine
EMERGENCY CREWS may take several days to discover the cause of an explosion which killed five people.
Fire crews have recovered five bodies from the wreckage of a building which was destroyed by a blast in Leicester on Sunday night.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it may take several days to discover what caused the blast.
Relatives of a family who lived in a flat above a shop reduced to rubble by the “massive” blast said a mother and two of her three sons were missing – with the third being treated in hospital.
A further five casualties were taken to hospital from the scene, including one who remains in a life-threatening condition. Rescue work to locate further casualties who may be trapped within “voids” in the structure was temporarily suspended yesterday amid fears about the safety of emergency crews.
Updating the media on the rescue operation, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Matt Cane said parts of the building were being shored up as the search continued.
Krishna Rungen, who lives close to the scene of the explosion, said his brother-inlaw lived at the address with his wife and three sons.
Mr Rungen, aged 69, said last night: “I am still waiting for news.”
FIVE PEOPLE died following an explosion at a building in Leicester, police said as Home Secretary Amber Rudd praised the emergency services for their work during the tragedy.
She was speaking in the wake of an explosion on Sunday night, the cause of which is still being investigated.
She said: “Five people are now confirmed to have died in an explosion at a shop (on Sunday) night on Hinckley Road.
“Five others remain in hospital, one with serious injuries. My thanks to the fire crews who are continuing to search for survivors and the hospital staff who are working tirelessly to save lives.
“I know I speak on behalf of all of us when I say our thoughts are with the family and friends who have died, as well as those who have been injured.”
Fire crews and police officers believe there may still be people unaccounted for but emergency crews have had to temporarily halt a search-and-rescue operation at the site on Hinckley Road because of the “structural integrity” of a neighbouring building.
Matt Cane, group manager from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “There are still pockets of fire in the basement area of the building. We have a significant number of specialist search-and-rescue teams who are supported by two search dogs.
“It may be some days yet before we will be able to establish the probable cause of the explosion.”
Gas network Cadent said the supply had been isolated and establishing the cause of the fire would be a matter for emergency services.
Superintendent Shane O’Neill, of Leicestershire Police, said: “There are now five confirmed fatalities 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.
“Although the cause of the explosion is not yet known, there is no evidence that this is linked to terrorism.”
He urged anyone who knows someone who is missing to contact police, adding: “It is still a search-and-rescue operation. It is important we try and find as many people as possible.”
Emergency services responded to reports of the blast from shocked residents at about 7pm on Sunday and police declared a major incident.
Firefighters worked through the night to dig through rubble and tackle the explosion’s subsequent blaze, and teams are expected to remain at the scene throughout the day.
Video taken at the scene on Sunday night showed flames billowing into the night sky as the fire engulfed what is believed to be a convenience store.
One clip appeared to show emergency services rushing to help someone close to flames that were visible from a distance.
The building appears to have stood next to a shop called TJ’s Takeaway.
Kat Pattinson, who lives on the same road as the fire, told how her “whole house shook” when the blast happened.
She added: “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 on fire is usually open until about 9pm on a Sunday, and has a flat above it.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue sent six fire engines to the scene, and said the property had suffered a “pancake collapse”.
Mr Crane said there was the potential for further collapse, and buildings on either side had sustained damage.
There is no evidence that this explosion is linked to terrorism. Superintendent Shane O’Neill, of Leicestershire Police.