Worksop gasoline blast horror ‘hit 5 homes’ as locals heard ‘almighty bang’

The terrifying incident happened in Worksop on Saturday evening as one witness said she was absolutely ‘petrified’ after hearing the blast while she was in her garden

Residents in the Midlands recalled how they feared for their lives following a suspected gas explosion on Saturday evening (April 12).

Police declared a major incident on a residential street in Worksop, Nottinghamshire as at least five homes were badly hit in the shocking incident. Several houses were evacuated as emergency services rushed to the scene on John Street not long after 7:30pm.

A statement from the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) said last night: “This has now been declared a major incident, and we are likely to be on scene throughout the night and even into Sunday morning, owing to the significant damage to the building.” This morning, locals woke up to the resulting carnage in their neighbourhood.

One woman, who wished to to remain anonymous, told the Mirror that she was in her garden taking the washing in when she heard a huge bang. The blast hit her conservatory before her husband was able to run outside and see what had happened.

“I was absolutely petrified. There was this almighty bang and took my conservatory was damaged. My husband ran out. There was black smoke and the house roof behind me was caved in,” she said.

The frightened resident added that she was forced to spend the night in her camper van and that the explosion seemed to have “well damaged” at least five homes. “We were evacuated but I was allowed to get my camper van which is where I slept. It think it took five houses – well damaged them,” she said.

Elsewhere, people nearby took to social media to describe the the moment the explosion left their homes “shaking”. One woman said she heard a “loud bang” and the aftershocks “shook my windows”.

Another even experienced the effects of it as she was out shopping in Aldi and felt a “massive shake and bang”. While people in Gateford – almost two miles away – felt the explosion as one person said she initially thought she was “imagining things”.

One Facebook user posted: “I was driving back from Mass this evening, just turned into Gladstone Street from Gateford Road, when there was a terrific bang, like a very loud firework! I thought the back end had blown off my car. A house in John Street has had, presumably, a gas explosion!”

Nottinghamshire Police Chief Inspector Neil Humphris confirmed that multiple houses had been evacuated and that emergency services were working to “understand how it happened”. He added that firefighters from four stations were sent to the scene.

The force also said that nearby Crown Place Community Centre has been opened as a “place of safety.” Around 20 or so affected people were evacuated there, with two people who slept at the centre telling NottinghamshireLive: “We can’t get anything from the house, not even medication. We’ve not been told when we might be allowed in. Nobody knows yet.”

An update from the NRFS was also issued earlier confirming that multiple fire engine are still at the scene this morning. It read: “Three fire engines remain on scene at this incident, with fire crews working alongside specialist Urban Search & Rescue Teams to account for all local residents.

“The building involved in this explosion has been significantly damaged. Structural engineers will be assessing the situation later today (Sunday 13 April), but people are still advised to avoid the area. This is still a major incident and further updates will follow.”

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