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| Leicester explosion: Mother and two sons 'among blast dead' | Leicester explosion: Mother and two sons 'among blast dead' |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A mother and two of her sons are believed to be among the five people who died in an explosion in Leicester. | A mother and two of her sons are believed to be among the five people who died in an explosion in Leicester. |
| Mary Ragoobar, 46, and sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, lived in the flat above the shop in Hinckley Road which was destroyed in the blast on Sunday. | Mary Ragoobar, 46, and sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, lived in the flat above the shop in Hinckley Road which was destroyed in the blast on Sunday. |
| Police said they are missing along with Shane's girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, and Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, who was working in the shop at the time. | Police said they are missing along with Shane's girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, and Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, who was working in the shop at the time. |
| Remains belonging to five people have been recovered from the wreckage. | Remains belonging to five people have been recovered from the wreckage. |
| Leicestershire Police said given the "devastation caused by the blast and fire", it may be some "considerable time" before the bodies are formally identified. | Leicestershire Police said given the "devastation caused by the blast and fire", it may be some "considerable time" before the bodies are formally identified. |
| Mrs Ragoobar's husband, Jose Ragoobeer, was working at the time of the explosion and received a phone call to say his youngest son had been taken to hospital. | |
| His employer, Lola Ojomo, said he was "adored" by his clients, who know him as "Joe". She described him as a "very devoted" father. | |
| "I don't know how he will recover from this," said Miss Ojomo, who is director of Pure HomeCare. | |
| "He's very much a family man. I think his work and family were just it for him, that was his life. | |
| "His remaining son is still critical. We don't even know if he's going to make it." | |
| Mr Ragoobeer was with a client when he received the phone call about his son. | |
| "He made sure the client was OK; that's the kind of person he is; then went off and communicated with us to say he was at the A&E with his son," said Miss Ojomo. | |
| "He at the time didn't know what had happened to the other members of the family. I think he assumed they weren't in." | |
| 'Humble and grateful' | |
| His colleagues are raising money for him through a crowd-funding page. | |
| Miss Ojomo said he was "really humble and grateful that anybody is thinking about him". | |
| Stanislav Stosiek, who went to English Martyrs Catholic School with Sean Ragoobeer, said he was a "wonderful person" who was "smiling all the time". | |
| He added: "The fact he's just 17, not 18 - so young. He had so much ahead of him, so much. It really breaks my heart. | He added: "The fact he's just 17, not 18 - so young. He had so much ahead of him, so much. It really breaks my heart. |
| "He really liked spending time with friends at English Martyrs for sure. He had many close friends there that are mourning right now and I think they're all going to be devastated to hear he's dead." | "He really liked spending time with friends at English Martyrs for sure. He had many close friends there that are mourning right now and I think they're all going to be devastated to hear he's dead." |
| Mr Stosiek said he was "truly devastated" for Sean's younger brother "who miraculously survived". | Mr Stosiek said he was "truly devastated" for Sean's younger brother "who miraculously survived". |
| "I hope his brother recovers. And I hope for the sake of his father, who I don't know how he's going to deal with this, but I hope [he and his surviving son] recover and I hope the very best for them." | "I hope his brother recovers. And I hope for the sake of his father, who I don't know how he's going to deal with this, but I hope [he and his surviving son] recover and I hope the very best for them." |
| Five people were also taken to hospital after the blast, one of whom remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries. | Five people were also taken to hospital after the blast, one of whom remains in hospital with life-threatening injuries. |
| Specialist teams with experience of searching earthquake-hit buildings are being used in the search operation. | Specialist teams with experience of searching earthquake-hit buildings are being used in the search operation. |
| This includes the use of dogs, cameras and listening equipment. | This includes the use of dogs, cameras and listening equipment. |
| But police said they did not expect to find any survivors and the operation had moved into the "recovery" phase. | But police said they did not expect to find any survivors and the operation had moved into the "recovery" phase. |
| Supt Shane O'Neill said: "Tragically, all we are now looking for is any further human remains. | Supt Shane O'Neill said: "Tragically, all we are now looking for is any further human remains. |
| "This is vital work that is being done, on behalf of the victims and their families, and it will take some time to complete. | "This is vital work that is being done, on behalf of the victims and their families, and it will take some time to complete. |
| "People lost their lives on Sunday in the most horrific way. We need to understand why the building exploded." | "People lost their lives on Sunday in the most horrific way. We need to understand why the building exploded." |
| The building consisted of a shop premises on the ground level and a two-storey flat above. | The building consisted of a shop premises on the ground level and a two-storey flat above. |
| The shop had gone through many owners but most recently was a Polish supermarket called Zabka. It is believed to have been trading since January. | The shop had gone through many owners but most recently was a Polish supermarket called Zabka. It is believed to have been trading since January. |
| A section of Hinckley Road is expected to remain closed throughout Tuesday. | A section of Hinckley Road is expected to remain closed throughout Tuesday. |
| A public meeting held on Monday night was attended by residents and businesses. | A public meeting held on Monday night was attended by residents and businesses. |
| Matt Cane, group manager for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said he could not rule out the possibility more bodies could be recovered from the scene. | Matt Cane, group manager for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said he could not rule out the possibility more bodies could be recovered from the scene. |
| "While we have no intelligence to suggest this is the case, we cannot rule out that possibility until the search is over," he said. | "While we have no intelligence to suggest this is the case, we cannot rule out that possibility until the search is over," he said. |
| Support is being provided by police family liaison officers to the families of the five people known to be missing, Leicestershire Police added. | Support is being provided by police family liaison officers to the families of the five people known to be missing, Leicestershire Police added. |
| Leicester City Council has asked for flowers to be left near the front steps of the Westcotes United Reform Church in Hinckley Road. | Leicester City Council has asked for flowers to be left near the front steps of the Westcotes United Reform Church in Hinckley Road. |
| A rest centre, which was opened at St Anne's Church in Letchworth Road to support residents who had to leave their homes after the blast, has now been converted into a support and information centre. | A rest centre, which was opened at St Anne's Church in Letchworth Road to support residents who had to leave their homes after the blast, has now been converted into a support and information centre. |