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Shaw explosion: Man rescued from rubble Oldham explosion: Search after blast damages homes
(40 minutes later)
One person has been taken to hospital with 80% burns following a large blast in the Shaw area of Oldham, the North West Ambulance Service has said.One person has been taken to hospital with 80% burns following a large blast in the Shaw area of Oldham, the North West Ambulance Service has said.
Greater Manchester Police said the explosion happened shortly after 11:15 BST. Greater Manchester Police said the explosion happened in Buckley Street shortly after 11:15 BST.
Police, fire and ambulance services are at the scene and there were "possibly people trapped", Greater Manchester Fire Service said.Police, fire and ambulance services are at the scene and there were "possibly people trapped", Greater Manchester Fire Service said.
It said it was a suspected gas explosion. Police and the fire service said it was a suspected gas explosion.
A fire service spokesman said: "The control room has received numerous calls from members of the public and the initial information from the public is that it involves a number of terraced properties in Duchess Street with possibly people trapped." A fire service listening helicopter is at the scene trying to detect if people are trapped in the rubble.
The ambulance service said the burns victim has been taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. The ambulance service said the burns victim had been taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester.
The blast is believed to have damaged two terraced houses.
Shaw ward councillor Mark Alcock, who lives a quarter of a mile away, described the scene as "utter carnage".
'Loudest bang'
"An end terrace house has been completely flattened and properties up to 800m away have had their windows blown in," he said.
"It's a real mess… we understand there are people trapped in other properties," he added.
Peter Travis, who works nearby, said: "I heard the loudest bang you could ever hear, then I could see bits of slate going through the air like ticker tape.
"Bits of slate were landing near us about 250 metres away.
"I could then hear alarms going off and then a silence, it was absolutely frightening."
Other eye-witnesses half a mile away reported their homes were shaken by the explosion.