Woman found dead after Guildford flat explosion

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The body of a 45-year-old woman has been found at a block of flats in Surrey following an explosion.

A 57-year-old man taken to hospital after the incident in Guildford has been transferred to a specialist burns unit, police said.

Fire crews were called to Bedford House in Onslow Street at about 17:30 GMT on Monday. The cause of the explosion has not been revealed.

Formal identification of the woman has yet to take place.

She has not been named by Surrey Police. A post-mortem examination is due to take place later on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman said the injured man, whose injuries were initially life-threatening, was first treated at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

He was later tranferred to the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead.

A police officer was also treated for the effects of breathing in smoke following the incident.

Police are still investigating the explosion, which happened in one of the flats, and the scene remains cordoned off.

The resident of the flat above said he saw flames and smoke coming from the kitchen window as the rest of the block was evacuated.

Red Cross support workers were at the scene to hand out blankets and hot drinks to residents.

Most were allowed to return to their homes during the evening. Road closures were put in place but later lifted.