A woman has been found dead and a man has life-threatening injuries after an alleged gas explosion destroyed a house in Kingstanding, Birmingham, last night.
The West Midlands fire service said: “We are very saddened to confirm that a woman was found dead at the scene of last night’s explosion in Kingstanding.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those affected.”
Image: Scene on Dulwich Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham
One man also suffered “very serious injuries” and is in a “life-threatening condition” after the blast, the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMFS) said.
A terraced house was destroyed and several others were badly damaged, as well as nearby cars after the blast around 8.30pm last night.
Four other men suffered minor injuries and were evaluated by ambulance crews, but were discharged at the scene.
The video footage showed huge flames, damaged properties and a lot of rubble from the townhouse.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Image: A terraced house was destroyed
Residents recounted how they buried the remains in flames, among dust and rubble, shortly after the explosion, and pulled a wounded man alive from the ruins of the house.
One man, who refused to give his name, said, “Everyone was watching, the house was on fire, no one was coming in, so we could see a way to get in, so we went into the house, I and a dozen more.
“There was a guy in the back (of the house), we heard him screaming, but he got stuck against the kitchen fridge.
“The dust from the attic insulation was burning around us.
“We managed to get to him and get him out, I still have his blood on my jeans.
“We took it out, it ended up coming out on a mattress.
“But he said there was a woman in the house.”
Image: A local councilor said he heard a “massive explosion” shortly after 8.30pm.
WMFS said it was working with West Midlands police, West Midlands ambulance service, Cadent Gas and National Grid to handle the incident.
Six fire brigades, three ambulances, five paramedics and a liaison officer between national agencies were among the media sent to the scene.
Rick Payne, a city councilor, heard a “massive explosion” as he watched TV shortly after 8.30pm and walked to Dulwich Road to see what had happened.
He said: “I recognized that it was probably most likely a gas explosion.
“The house itself, where the explosion occurred, has been physically destroyed. The houses on either side, in part. Then the houses further down the street have been collaterally damaged by the explosion.”