Major blast in Leicester

by **sharonl** on 25.02.18 21:49

Leicester 'blast': Four people taken to hospital

5 minutes ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43192909
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BBC journalist John Alexander: "There has been what appears to be a big explosion"

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Media captionBBC journalist John Alexander: "There has been what appears to be a big explosion"
Four people have been taken to hospital after reports of an explosion and a fire in the Hinckley Road area of Leicester.
Police declared a "major incident" after reports of an explosion just after 19:00 GMT.
Emergency services said they were conducting a search and rescue operation at the scene.
Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed and police are asking people to avoid the area.
Six fire engines were at the scene, Leicestershire Police said. Flames were seen rising from a building in the middle of a parade of shops.

BBC journalist John Alexander said the explosion had "blown debris and rubble across four lanes of traffic".
He said the emergency services had cordoned off about 60 houses in the area and people had been evacuated because of an "enormous" fire.

'Pancake collapse'

A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said they were involved in a "search and rescue" operation.
The affected property was a two-floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a "pancake collapse", she said.
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Alpana Marwaha, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "I heard a bang and the house shook. We could see the flames.
"You can still see the smoke coming, and the emergency services. There are few shops there and it is surrounded by houses," she added.
She said that it was worrying being so close to the explosion and she hoped the authorities would establish its cause.
Pictures and video shared on social media appeared to show a shop engulfed in flames and the blaze visible from a distance.

by MayMuse on 25.02.18 22:17

Looks like it was a Polish Grocery Store , not much left of it!

Edit...
Four people have been killed, others injured!

by Ladyinred on 03.03.18 19:36

Three men have been charged with manslaughter and arson.

by quaestorr on 04.03.18 17:24

I assume that means the police believe these men threw a firebomb of some kind into the premises.

by Ladyinred on 04.03.18 17:27

I read (now whooshed) that there may have been an illegal distillery in the basement which caused the explosion.

by sar on 05.03.18 11:48

media blackout, this is being managed

by Amy Dean on 05.03.18 11:54

The mention of an alleged illegal distillery is still in this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/two-more-held-over-deadly-leicester-explosion/ar-BBJMZX8?li=AAnZ9Ug

by Ladyinred on 05.03.18 14:10

@sar wrote:media blackout, this is being managed

No media blackout.

Isn't the media restricted what it can report once someone has been charged?

by sar on 05.03.18 22:23

...bit like the salisbury blast???

Major blast in Leicester