Update: Six injured, two critically, as 'major incident' blast destroys shop
Six people were injured, two of them critically, after a suspected explosion and subsequent fire destroyed a shop.
Police declared a major incident after the blast in a street in Leicester on Sunday night.
Video taken at the scene shows flames billowing into the night sky as the fire engulfed what is believed to be a convenience store.
One clip appeared to show emergency services rushing to help someone close to flames that were visible from a distance.
The building appears to have stood next to a shop called TJ's Takeaway.
Six casualties were taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, the hospital said.
A spokesman added: "Two of these patients are in a critical condition, while four are walking wounded."
Four people are in a critical condition in hospital after a suspected explosion destroyed a shop.
Police declared a major incident after the blast in a street in Leicester on Sunday night.
Video taken at the scene shows flames billowing into the night sky.
One clip appeared to show emergency services rushing to help someone close to what is believed to be a convenience store engulfed in flames visible from a distance.
The building appears to have been next to a shop called TJ's Takeaway.
All four casualties were been taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, East Midlands Ambulance Service said.
A hazardous area response team and ambulance crews remain at the scene in Hinckley Road in the west of the city, it added.
Speaking to Sky News, Kat Pattinson who lives on the same road as the fire, said: "We are down the same street - about 500 metres from where the blast has taken place and our whole house shook.
"We checked on our children first and foremost and then we went outside. There is just an awful lot of smoke here at the moment and the whole area is cordoned off."
She added that the shop on fire is usually open until about 9pm on a Sunday, and has a flat above it.
Leicester Royal Infirmary tweeted: "We can confirm that four patients from the scene have been taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary via @EMASNHSTrust in a critical condition."
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue said at around 7.03pm it received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast on Hinckley Road.
A spokeswoman said six fire engines had been requested and that the incident is currently being treated as a search and rescue operation.
She added that the affected property was a two floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a "pancake collapse".
Leicestershire Police tweeted: "There has been a major incident on Hinckley Road, Leicester.
"All emergency services are currently dealing with this. Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed. Please avoid the area."
Eye-witness Tahir Khan said: "I was driving past when it happened. Loads of people were gathered and there was gas and flames coming out of the building. I looked on the road and half the building was on the road. Literally the whole of the side of the building had been blown out.
"I couldn't believe it, it was like a Hollywood movie."
BBC journalist John Alexander said: "I live about 80 yards away from where it happened.
"I felt a tremor, what felt like an earthquake shock and I heard a very low boom that sounded like a very very fast release of pressure.
"I thought my house was going to fall down on top of me and all my neighbours have said the same thing. I saw one guy get pulled out and he'll be very lucky if he wasn't killed."
Four people have been taken to hospital after a reported explosion in Leicester in England.
A "major incident" has been declared by police after reports of an explosion in Leicester, England.
At around 7.03pm Leicestershire Fire and Rescue received calls from the public who said they had heard a blast on Hinckley Road.
A spokeswoman said six fire engines had been requested and that the incident is currently being treated as a search and rescue operation.
Looks very bad @LEICESTER pic.twitter.com/vZJw0pXhfo
— Andrew knapp (@KnappsterKnapp) February 25, 2018
Leicestershire Police tweeted: "There has been a major incident on Hinckley Road, Leicester.
"All emergency services are currently dealing with this. Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed. Please avoid the area."
Pictures and video on social media show what appears to be a shop on the street engulfed in flames visible from a distance.
The building appears to have been next to a shop called TJ's Takeaway.
This is the scene in Hinckley Road in #Leicester where @leicspolice have declared a major incident. Locals report hearing a loud explosion. Emergency services are at the scene. pic.twitter.com/Td3i06ZkFU
— Hits Radio News | East Midlands (@HitsEastMidNews) February 25, 2018
The fire and rescue service spokeswoman said: "This is a search and rescue at the moment. It is unknown if people are injured or trapped."
She added that the affected property was a two floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a "pancake collapse".
SONDAKİKA:İngiltere'nin Leicester kentinde şiddetli patlama 1 binanada patlama sonucu 2 bina tamamen yıkıldı. pic.twitter.com/PqSQhy8MkE
— Musitem Haber (@musitem) February 25, 2018
