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Birstall house explosion: Woman in critical condition | Birstall house explosion: Woman in critical condition |
(35 minutes later) | |
A woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a gas explosion at a house in Leicestershire. | A woman is in a critical condition in hospital following a gas explosion at a house in Leicestershire. |
Two men were also injured - one is in a stable condition in hospital and the other has been discharged. | Two men were also injured - one is in a stable condition in hospital and the other has been discharged. |
The blast occurred in Allington Drive, Birstall at about 07:30 GMT on Monday. One house was destroyed, another torn in half and 50 others were damaged. | The blast occurred in Allington Drive, Birstall at about 07:30 GMT on Monday. One house was destroyed, another torn in half and 50 others were damaged. |
A "handful" of families spent Monday night in temporary accommodation and an investigation is under way. | A "handful" of families spent Monday night in temporary accommodation and an investigation is under way. |
Updates on this story and more from across the East Midlands | Updates on this story and more from across the East Midlands |
The gas maintenance company Cadent, which supplied the collapsed house in Birstall, has confirmed it attended a call-out on Allington Drive on Sunday. | |
Chris Rison, from Cadent, said: "We were called and we attended to a job on this street. | |
"I can't go through the details of that attendance because that's all part of the investigation but it's true that we attended." | |
The Shah family, who live next door to the demolished house, cannot return home because it is not structurally safe. | |
Local people have offered them shelter, food and hot drinks. | |
Tina Shah said: "We have had lots of phone calls and messages. The whole community has been fantastic." | |
Talking about the explosion, she said: "My son was in bed with me and our roof came in. I didn't know what had happened to my daughter because she was in another room. | Talking about the explosion, she said: "My son was in bed with me and our roof came in. I didn't know what had happened to my daughter because she was in another room. |
"I am just really grateful I have been able to walk out of my house with my two children." | "I am just really grateful I have been able to walk out of my house with my two children." |
Charnwood Borough Council said it was too early to tell if those left temporarily homeless would be able to return home before Christmas. | |
Richard Smith, who lives three doors down from the blast site, has lost dozens of tiles and damaged windows but stayed at home on Monday night in freezing temperatures. | |
"It is a bad state, but we are lucky. A lot of people are even worse," he said. | "It is a bad state, but we are lucky. A lot of people are even worse," he said. |
"I can't imagine how those poor people feel. If we had lost our house like they have, I don't know what we would have done really. | |
"I just feel terrible for them. I am just hoping and praying that they are OK." |