Man dies after explosion at house in Nottinghamshire

The Guardian

13-04-2025

A man has died after an explosion at a house in Nottinghamshire, police have said.
Emergency services were called to John Street, Worksop at 7.39pm on Saturday evening.
A major incident was declared and homes were evacuated after the blast, in which a terraced property was destroyed and significant damage caused to neighbouring properties.
The body of a man in his 50s was later discovered in the wreckage.
Ch Insp Clive Collings, from Nottinghamshire police, said: 'This is an extremely serious incident that has led to a man's untimely death.
'The man's family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. I have no doubt that this incident will have come as a shock to the community in Worksop.'
A police statement said that anyone who may have been in the area at the time is now accounted for and that an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion is ongoing.
Collings added: 'It is likely that the cordon and road closures will remain in place for some time as we carry out our investigations. I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of local residents and thank them for their patience.
'Officers will remain in the area to carry out inquiries relating to the investigation. It is an offence to fly a drone over or near to an ongoing emergency response without permission and I would ask that people refrain from doing that.
'I would also like to thank all partners, including our emergency services colleagues at Nottinghamshire fire and rescue service and East Midlands ambulance service, who have worked throughout the night in response to this incident.'
After the explosion, the nearby Crown Place community centre was opened as a place of safety for residents, while police remained at the scene through the night.
Images circulated on social media appeared to show the scene, with people reporting hearing a 'huge' bang that shook surrounding properties.
In video shared on Facebook, the entire length of the property appeared to have been wrecked, with bricks littering the street.
On X, one person asked at about 8.06pm on Saturday: 'Did anyone else hear a loud bang /explosion sound in Worksop north Nottingham around 30 minutes ago?'
A Facebook user posted at about 8.10pm: '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.'
Karolina Ciolko, who lives nearby, told the BBC: 'I was lying in bed when I heard an explosion. I quickly looked out the window. I saw smoke and the car in front of me rocked, and the alarm went off. We quickly ran out of the house to see what had happened.'