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| Man killed in house explosion near York | Man killed in house explosion near York |
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| A 63-year-old man has died after a suspected gas explosion destroyed a house near York, police said. | A 63-year-old man has died after a suspected gas explosion destroyed a house near York, police said. |
| An officer at the scene told reporters they believed the man was a resident of the address in the village of Haxby and have informed members of his family. | An officer at the scene told reporters they believed the man was a resident of the address in the village of Haxby and have informed members of his family. |
| “Formal identification is yet to take place. It will be some time before we can retrieve the body as the scene is still in a state of disarray. We need to be sure everyone is safe before doing that,” he added. | “Formal identification is yet to take place. It will be some time before we can retrieve the body as the scene is still in a state of disarray. We need to be sure everyone is safe before doing that,” he added. |
| Three fire crews and a hazardous area response team attended the scene, while firefighters carried out a search of what was left of the property. | Three fire crews and a hazardous area response team attended the scene, while firefighters carried out a search of what was left of the property. |
| Police are treating the explosion as an accident. it's likely a gas explosion. The deceased hasn't been identified pic.twitter.com/dM6WuX0x3G | |
| Emergency services were alerted to the incident at 7.30am on Friday. A police spokesperson said they were treating the explosion as a major incident but there was no wider risk to the public. They believe the cause was a gas explosion, but that has not been confirmed. | Emergency services were alerted to the incident at 7.30am on Friday. A police spokesperson said they were treating the explosion as a major incident but there was no wider risk to the public. They believe the cause was a gas explosion, but that has not been confirmed. |
| A relief centre has been set up for those displaced by the incident at the nearby Haxby Memorial Hall. | A relief centre has been set up for those displaced by the incident at the nearby Haxby Memorial Hall. |
| A North Yorkshire police spokesperson said: “Emergency services are currently at the scene of what is believed to be a gas explosion at a property in Springwood in Haxby near York. Extensive damage has been caused to the property and surrounding homes, and residents have been evacuated. A cordon remains in place and there will be disruption to the surrounding area as emergency services work to protect the wider community.” | A North Yorkshire police spokesperson said: “Emergency services are currently at the scene of what is believed to be a gas explosion at a property in Springwood in Haxby near York. Extensive damage has been caused to the property and surrounding homes, and residents have been evacuated. A cordon remains in place and there will be disruption to the surrounding area as emergency services work to protect the wider community.” |
| The explosion sounded like a crash, one local resident said. The man, who did not wish to be named, was about 150 yards away at the time and described the loud bang that he said had “flattened” the property and damaged others nearby. | The explosion sounded like a crash, one local resident said. The man, who did not wish to be named, was about 150 yards away at the time and described the loud bang that he said had “flattened” the property and damaged others nearby. |
| “The house has been completely flattened. It sounded as if a bus or something had crashed into a house, or like an aeroplane crash,” he told the Press Association. “All the properties adjacent to the one that’s blown up have got damaged windows and garages.” | “The house has been completely flattened. It sounded as if a bus or something had crashed into a house, or like an aeroplane crash,” he told the Press Association. “All the properties adjacent to the one that’s blown up have got damaged windows and garages.” |
| Windows at St Margaret Clitherow church in Holly Tree Lane and the presbytery are also understood to have been damaged. | Windows at St Margaret Clitherow church in Holly Tree Lane and the presbytery are also understood to have been damaged. |
| At the scene, the road was cordoned off and four fire engines could be seen outside the destroyed house. | At the scene, the road was cordoned off and four fire engines could be seen outside the destroyed house. |
| The detached houses either side of the property were badly damaged. The windows had been blown out of one neighbouring house and the roofs of many houses on the street had been damaged by the explosion. Neighbours said the blast was heard across the area. | The detached houses either side of the property were badly damaged. The windows had been blown out of one neighbouring house and the roofs of many houses on the street had been damaged by the explosion. Neighbours said the blast was heard across the area. |
| Peter Hurst, 30, said his father, David Hurst, lives in one of the neighbouring properties. “He said he heard a big bang. He can’t walk that well so he was really panicking but he’s fine, he’s shaken up a bit. The windows in his house have all gone.” Hurst said his father did not know his neighbours well. | Peter Hurst, 30, said his father, David Hurst, lives in one of the neighbouring properties. “He said he heard a big bang. He can’t walk that well so he was really panicking but he’s fine, he’s shaken up a bit. The windows in his house have all gone.” Hurst said his father did not know his neighbours well. |
| Duncan Batchelor, a finance director who lives a few doors down from the house, said him and his wife were woken at around 7.30 by the bang. “At first we thought that one of the trees out the back had fallen or that something had hit the house and then we heard all the car alarms going off and thought it must be one of those small earthquakes,” he said. “I checked on the kids and they were fine and then looked out the window and the garage door had been popped open.” The houses on either side of the exploded house had had their windows blown in. The father of a family living next door to the exploded house reportedly had to climb through a smashed bay window in order to wrestle the front door open and get his children out. “They’re solid houses,” said Batchelor. “They’re made of solid brick, but there wasn’t a wall standing.” Pensioner Kenneth Waugh has lived in a nearby house for nearly 12 years and, like most of his neighbours, was awoken by the noise. “We got up and looked out the window and saw people scurrying all over the place,” he said. “I wondered whether a car had crashed into the house,” said his wife, Allison. Emma Coulson, a teacher, said friends from around the village had texted her when they heard the bang. “Friends texted me saying ‘what was that?’ and I replied saying ‘I can see smoke from my back window’.” | Duncan Batchelor, a finance director who lives a few doors down from the house, said him and his wife were woken at around 7.30 by the bang. “At first we thought that one of the trees out the back had fallen or that something had hit the house and then we heard all the car alarms going off and thought it must be one of those small earthquakes,” he said. “I checked on the kids and they were fine and then looked out the window and the garage door had been popped open.” The houses on either side of the exploded house had had their windows blown in. The father of a family living next door to the exploded house reportedly had to climb through a smashed bay window in order to wrestle the front door open and get his children out. “They’re solid houses,” said Batchelor. “They’re made of solid brick, but there wasn’t a wall standing.” Pensioner Kenneth Waugh has lived in a nearby house for nearly 12 years and, like most of his neighbours, was awoken by the noise. “We got up and looked out the window and saw people scurrying all over the place,” he said. “I wondered whether a car had crashed into the house,” said his wife, Allison. Emma Coulson, a teacher, said friends from around the village had texted her when they heard the bang. “Friends texted me saying ‘what was that?’ and I replied saying ‘I can see smoke from my back window’.” |
| One woman, who did not want to be named, said she felt the explosion from a street away. She said: “There was a tremendous bang this morning. It shook the bed and the whole house.” | One woman, who did not want to be named, said she felt the explosion from a street away. She said: “There was a tremendous bang this morning. It shook the bed and the whole house.” |