Second physique present in horror home explosion particles as ‘beautiful lad’, 7, is called

Another body has been discovered in the debris of a horrific house explosion as the seven-year-old boy previously confirmed dead is named locally.

A heartbroken neighbour of Archie York revealed that the family are “in bits” following the devastating incident.

Northumbria Police confirmed on Thursday afternoon, a second body, believed to be that of a man in his 30s, has been found following the explosion in Newcastle.

Archie, described as a “lovely lad”, lost his life at the scene on Violent Close in the Benwell and Elswick area of the city in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The explosion and subsequent fire triggered a massive emergency services response, with harrowing images revealing the extent of the damage to two terraced homes.

READ MORE: Boy, 7, killed in Newcastle house explosion as emergency services swoop area

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The “large scale incident” occurred around 12.45am, with engineers from Northern Gas Networks joining police and ambulance crews in rushing to the scene. Six people were taken to hospital with “varying injuries” as a result of the blast, according to police.

Paying tribute to Archie, a neighbour said today: “Everybody knew him. He was a lovely lad. The family are in bits. Archie was always with his dad and he was playing outside a lot. You would see him with his two dogs. He went to a school just up the road from here. My kids are having nightmares about what happened.”

His aunt Abbie York expressed the family’s grief, saying they are “all so truly devastated and heartbroken beyond words”. She added in a Facebook post: “Archie was my nephew and the most beautiful, funny, and caring little boy and his name deserves to be shouted from the rooftops! We all love you so much little man, you didn’t deserve this.”, reports the Mirror.

Residents in the vicinity were rushed to safety, told to keep their doors and windows shut, with drivers being advised to avoid the blast area. A local who preferred to stay unnamed shared that a woman residing in one of the flats destroyed by the explosion had flagged her boiler concerns to the council just before the tragedy.

“The woman whose house it started in had complained to the council about her boiler very recently,” he revealed. “She said ‘my boiler smells like gas’ and they told her turn it off and they will have someone out in two days.”

He added: “Since the blast happened we’re being told it was because of the old gas pipes underneath the houses. There are old gas pipes that are there but we know the boiler had something to do with it.”

“I think she only complained two days before it happened. If you complain about a repair here, the council will say they have it on order and the lads will be out soon. But nobody turned up this time. I think it’s because they are old houses and they don’t have the parts and they try and push you away.”

Describing his experience when the incident occurred, he said: “I was in bed at the time but I was straight out when I heard the bang. People were shouting that there were kids still inside and the house was on fire.”

He outlined that neighbouring locals have been rehomed temporarily due to the ongoing probes, remarking: “We’re trying to find out what is going on but the police have said they don’t even know what’s happening. The investigation is still going on and it could be a while.”

“I want to know if our houses are going to be safe moving forward. People are scared in case it happens again it might take out the whole block. A roof caved in two doors down from me in the past. Now this has happened and it’s so sad.”

A nearby resident recounted the chilling moment, saying: “Me and my husband woke up to a big bang. It was really loud. My husband is a heavy sleeper, and he woke up straight away. We saw people outside. It was about 12.45am. I have heard two properties have been affected. I heard from a police officer they still don’t know what caused it. There were about ten fire engines one after another. It’s a shocking thing to have happened.”

In a sad reveal during yesterdays afternoon press brief, Superintendent Darren Adams disclosed: “It is with great sadness I stand before you today following the death of a young child. As a result of the incident here in the early hours of the morning a seven-year-old has sadly passed away.”

The neighbour said: “It was a massive blast. There was an explosion about one-ish and then there was a massive fire.”

“We could see it from the top floor. I woke up hearing people outside the house. There were people crying in the street. It was really sad.”

Chief Supt. Sam Rennison said: “Despite the efforts of emergency services he died at the scene. This is a truly devastating outcome. I have no doubt the people of Elswick and Benwell, and our wider region, will want to join me in sending their thoughts and condolences to family and friends. The loss and pain they must be suffering is unimaginable.”

“The boys’ loved ones are being supported by specialist officers and we would ask the their privacy be respected at this time. I can confirm six people were taken to hospital with varying injuries. A number of people were also evacuated and are being supported by our colleagues from Newcastle City Council. It is likely the cordon will remain in place for some time as we continue to carry out our investigations. This is an incredibly tragic incident.”

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