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| Twelve hurt in town centre blast | Twelve hurt in town centre blast |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Twelve people were hurt, two seriously, when a suspected gas blast destroyed a block of flats in Shrewsbury. | |
| One woman was airlifted to hospital with burns to her head, neck and chest, and a man suffered spinal injuries in the explosion in Bridge Street. | |
| Five people had been trapped in a car under rubble but they were pulled free by bystanders and emergency crews. | |
| Supt Peter Lightwood, from West Mercia Police, said it was a surprise no one had been killed. | |
| He said officers were on site within two minutes and the scene was one of "total devastation". | |
| "The cause of the explosion is unknown," he said, adding: "We are aware the casualties woke to the smell of gas." | |
| Two people were seriously injured in the blast | |
| He said the building had been completely flattened. | |
| A woman in her early 20s who was a resident of the upstairs flat and had been "blown clear of the building". She was airlifted to the burns unit at Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. | |
| The man with spinal injuries was found partially trapped in the rubble. He is currently in the operating theatre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. | |
| Five people who had been trapped in the crushed car were said to be "very lucky" and had also been taken to the hospital. Fire crews are still searching through the rubble but said they were almost certain no-one was trapped. | |
| 'Horrible sight' | 'Horrible sight' |
| The explosion happened at a block of flats on the corner of Bridge Street and Smithfield Road, near Welsh Bridge, just before 1130 GMT. | |
| Jim Grindley, who was working nearby, said: "I ran down, the side building was on fire, loads of people [were] getting dragged out. | |
| "I just ran straight over to the rubble, just saw a hand come out the rubble so I just grabbed them and pulled them out. I got told to move away then. It smelt of gas, it was a horrible sight, horrible sight." | "I just ran straight over to the rubble, just saw a hand come out the rubble so I just grabbed them and pulled them out. I got told to move away then. It smelt of gas, it was a horrible sight, horrible sight." |
| Jane Harrison said she had just driven over the bridge and onto Smithfield Road when the explosion happened. | Jane Harrison said she had just driven over the bridge and onto Smithfield Road when the explosion happened. |
| She said: "It just felt like somebody had hit me. I've never heard a bang like it. The car went sideways, that's how it felt. | She said: "It just felt like somebody had hit me. I've never heard a bang like it. The car went sideways, that's how it felt. |
| "The car behind me was hit by a traffic light and her back window was smashed. | "The car behind me was hit by a traffic light and her back window was smashed. |
| The building that used to stand on the corner is nothing but a pile of rubble Christopher Hobbs | |
| "There was lots of debris all over the road. I saw smoke and flames and there were people there clearing rubble, looking to see if there was anybody in there. | "There was lots of debris all over the road. I saw smoke and flames and there were people there clearing rubble, looking to see if there was anybody in there. |
| "That traffic light from the car behind could have gone through the windscreen and that could have been me. I feel very lucky indeed." | "That traffic light from the car behind could have gone through the windscreen and that could have been me. I feel very lucky indeed." |
| She said she was shaken by the incident, but the only damage to her car came when glass from elsewhere hit the vehicle. | She said she was shaken by the incident, but the only damage to her car came when glass from elsewhere hit the vehicle. |
| Christopher Hobbs, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the site, said he saw two casualties. | Christopher Hobbs, who lives about a quarter of a mile from the site, said he saw two casualties. |
| He said: "We were in the house watching TV this morning. We heard this huge explosion. | He said: "We were in the house watching TV this morning. We heard this huge explosion. |
| "It sounded like the chimney had fallen off our house or something. It felt like the whole building shook. | "It sounded like the chimney had fallen off our house or something. It felt like the whole building shook. |
| "The building that used to stand on the corner is nothing but a pile of rubble. There was smoke billowing from the area. They brought two casualties through - one on a wheelchair and one on a stretcher." | "The building that used to stand on the corner is nothing but a pile of rubble. There was smoke billowing from the area. They brought two casualties through - one on a wheelchair and one on a stretcher." |
| 'Other side' | 'Other side' |
| Performances were cancelled at the Theatre Severn, which is across the river from the explosion site. | Performances were cancelled at the Theatre Severn, which is across the river from the explosion site. |
| Adam Jones, from the theatre, said they were about to open up when the incident happened. | Adam Jones, from the theatre, said they were about to open up when the incident happened. |
| He said: "I was up on the second floor standing by the window and I heard and felt what sounded like a big explosion. | He said: "I was up on the second floor standing by the window and I heard and felt what sounded like a big explosion. |
| "My first impression of it was that it could have been in our building, and we looked out the window and saw all this smoke on the other side of the river." | "My first impression of it was that it could have been in our building, and we looked out the window and saw all this smoke on the other side of the river." |
| The incident happened shortly before 1130 GMT | The incident happened shortly before 1130 GMT |
| BBC reporter Tom Warren, at the scene, said National Grid engineers had started digging up the road, there was rubble on the street and fire crews were on site. | BBC reporter Tom Warren, at the scene, said National Grid engineers had started digging up the road, there was rubble on the street and fire crews were on site. |
| He said: "I heard a loud bang while shopping in the town centre and came down to see what it was. | He said: "I heard a loud bang while shopping in the town centre and came down to see what it was. |
| "It looked like there'd been an explosion, because there was rubble strewn outside. I saw lots of ambulances and the air ambulance arrived." | "It looked like there'd been an explosion, because there was rubble strewn outside. I saw lots of ambulances and the air ambulance arrived." |
| Smail Bachene, manager of the Source Vodka Bar, said he was in bed when he heard the explosion. | Smail Bachene, manager of the Source Vodka Bar, said he was in bed when he heard the explosion. |
| He said: "It was a big blast, the noise was unbelievable. I think there was a flat over the shop but I don't know how many people lived there." | He said: "It was a big blast, the noise was unbelievable. I think there was a flat over the shop but I don't know how many people lived there." |
| Dave Preece, St John's Ambulance Service commissioner for Shropshire, said the county base was 100 yards from the scene of the explosion. | Dave Preece, St John's Ambulance Service commissioner for Shropshire, said the county base was 100 yards from the scene of the explosion. |
| "We were called in to support West Midlands Ambulance Service and sent four vehicles and a mobile treatment unit," he said. | "We were called in to support West Midlands Ambulance Service and sent four vehicles and a mobile treatment unit," he said. |