- Emergency services rushed to the mid-terraced home in County Durham
A man has been seriously injured today after a ‘gas’ explosion completely destroyed a home’s roof.
He was taken to hospital after emergency services rushed to the mid-terraced home at 1.30am in Coronation Terrace, Willington, County Durham.
The street was cordoned off and nearby residents evacuated with pictures showing the blast ripped off nearly half of the home.
A statement from Durham Constabulary said: ‘A man sustained serious injuries during the incident and has been taken to hospital by paramedics for treatment.
‘A cordon has been put in place around the property while emergency services work at the scene. Nearby residents have been evacuated as a precaution and people are advised to avoid the area.’
A man has been seriously injured today after a ‘gas’ explosion completely destroyed a home’s roof in Willington, County Durham
The street was cordoned off and nearby residents evacuated with pictures showing nearly half of the home caved in
North East Ambulance Service sent one ambulance crew, a duty officer and four crews from a Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.
Support from Great North Air Ambulance Service was also requested and engineers from Northern Gas Networks were also in scene.
An investigation into the cause of the incident will take place.
Chris Williams, Group Manager at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘Our crews remain at the scene of an explosion in Willington, Crook. At 1.28am we received a call reporting an explosion at a residential property on Coronation Terrace in Willington.
‘The first crew were at the scene within minutes, with crews deployed from Durham, Bishop Auckland and Crook, along with the aerial ladder platform from Durham.
‘Firefighters assisted in the rescue of one man, who was attended to at the scene by police officers and North East Ambulance Service, before being taken to hospital.
An aerial image shows the extent of the catastrophic damage with the blast causing piles of rubble to form on both sides of the home
An investigation into the cause of the incident will take place with a man in hospital being treated for serious injuries
Police and firefighters at the scene today following the huge explosion. No one else has been injured
‘Nobody else has been reported to be injured.
‘Some residents in the immediate vicinity were evacuated as a precaution.
‘Our crews will remain in the area today alongside colleagues from Durham Constabulary, Durham County Council and Northern Gas Networks to assess the site and ensure it is structurally safe.’
He added: ‘We know this will be concerning for local residents and if you live in the area please listen to the advice and instruction of the emergency services. An investigation will take place into the incident in due course.’