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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Eight injured in flats explosion | Eight injured in flats explosion |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Eight people have been injured, four seriously, in an explosion which partially demolished a block of flats in Wigan, police say. | Eight people have been injured, four seriously, in an explosion which partially demolished a block of flats in Wigan, police say. |
| Four people suffered burns when two flats collapsed in Blake Close, Worsley Mesnes, at about 2100 GMT on Saturday. | Four people suffered burns when two flats collapsed in Blake Close, Worsley Mesnes, at about 2100 GMT on Saturday. |
| Another four were taken to Wigan Royal Infirmary suffering from asthma, angina and panic attacks. | Another four were taken to Wigan Royal Infirmary suffering from asthma, angina and panic attacks. |
| Fire officials have said they are looking into the possibility there may have been a gas explosion. | |
| A police spokesman said "one aspect" of the block had been demolished. | |
| Some 70 firefighters were there at the height of the incident, but by 0130 GMT the fire was said to be under control. Fifty firefighters remained at the scene. | |
| Three ambulances also attended, along with two paramedic fast response vehicles. | Three ambulances also attended, along with two paramedic fast response vehicles. |
| Gas isolated | |
| Meanwhile, an investigation is under way, with gas engineers and fire officers examining the damage. | Meanwhile, an investigation is under way, with gas engineers and fire officers examining the damage. |
| Gas has been isolated for the building, and switched off, so that dogs and rescue teams can go into the building. | Gas has been isolated for the building, and switched off, so that dogs and rescue teams can go into the building. |
| Dogs from the ambulance service's urban search and rescue team are being used to check if other casualties may still be trapped in the collapsed building. | Dogs from the ambulance service's urban search and rescue team are being used to check if other casualties may still be trapped in the collapsed building. |
| A briefing between all emergency services is taking place to establish how to continue dealing with the operation. | A briefing between all emergency services is taking place to establish how to continue dealing with the operation. |
| John Aspinall, of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, said emergency officials were "questioning whether there has been some form of gas explosion". | |
| 'Painstakingly slow' | |
| "There is no confirmation at present; however, there has been a large explosion which has demolished the second and first floor respectively of a block of flats on to the ground floor of the area," he said. | |
| "Urban search and rescue teams are making an effective rescue into the scene... but it's painstakingly slow." | |
| Paul Kudray, of the North West Ambulance Service, described the rescue effort. | |
| He said: "You could imagine there was quite a scene of devastation which is quite difficult for both the casualties and obviously for the responders and rescuers. | |
| "We've dealt with five casualties that were directly involved in the incident and there were six people who were evacuated to a nearby rescue centre. But the search is still taking place." |