Three people were injured in a suspected gas explosion at a West Cumbrian home.
People in Whitehaven – and as far away as Cleator Moor – said they heard a loud bang yesterday afternoon.
The incident happened on Hugh Street on Bransty, Whitehaven.
Police said they were called at around 4.25pm yesterday, Tuesday December 31.
Emergency services, including police, fire and the North West Ambulance Service were all called out.
Police, the fire service, Cumberland Council and utility companies are still at the scene today, Wednesday January 1.
Work is ongoing, including to make the area safe, Cumbria Local Resilience Forum said.
Displaced residents have either been accommodated with family/friends or have been supported by Cumberland Council to find alternative accommodation.
Anyone else affected by the incident that needs emergency housing support is advised to contact the council’s out of hours Copeland homelessness team at 0300 373 3730 or email housing.options@cumberland.gov.uk
Council offices are back open tomorrow, Thursday January 2, including the Market Hall in Whitehaven.
The council, with the support of Cumbria police, is in the process of contacting affected residents.
A cordon will remain in place while this work, as well as the investigation into the cause, continues.
A number of animals have also been rescued by police. Contact the police control room on 101 or visit www.cumbria.police.uk/reportit to arrange repatriation, quoting incident 134 of December 31.
Superintendent Paddy O’Hara, of Cumbria police, led the multi-agency response to the incident.
He said: “I’d like to thank the local people impacted by this unexpected event for their resourcefulness and patience, as well as emergency service partners, the local authority and other partner agencies for their work following this incident.
“Finally I would like to give particular thanks to the police officers who first responded to the incident.
“Their efforts to assist people resulted in their being briefly hospitalised with smoke inhalation but I’m pleased to report they have since been discharged from hospital.”
The forum initially said two men and a woman were taken to hospital by ambulance having suffered serious injuries.
In an update on Thursday January 2, it said it was in fact two women and a man. They remain in hospital in a critical condition, but are stable, the forum added.
The victims are a man and a woman in their 70s and a woman in her 50s.
Ten premises in the area were evacuated as a precaution.
It is understood that the cafe at Tesco opened as a refuge in the immediate aftermath.
Engineers from Northern Gas Networks are at the scene, supporting the emergency services.
Northern Gas Networks urged anyone who smells or suspects carbon monoxide gas to call its emergency line on 0800 111 999.
People are asked to avoid the area.
Fundraisers have been launched for people on Hugh Street affected by the incident.
