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Rochdale house fire: Two injured and one missing Rochdale house fire: Two injured and one missing
(about 3 hours later)
Two men are being treated in hospital and one man is unaccounted for after a fire caused a house to partially collapse in Greater Manchester. Two men are being treated in hospital and one man is unaccounted for after a fire caused the gable end of a house to collapse in Greater Manchester.
The fire broke out at an end-of-terrace house in War Office Road, Rochdale, at about 05:10 BST. The fire, thought to have been caused by an explosion, broke out at an end-of-terrace house in War Office Road, Rochdale, at about 05:10 BST.
The men, aged 38 and 60, were rescued from the building but the fire service said it believed there might have been another person inside. The men, aged 38 and 60, who are being treated for minor injuries, and a woman, 74, were rescued from the house.
A fire service spokesman said it was not safe to send crews into the house. A specialist fire team and dog are searching the house for a missing man.
'Conflicting information'
Wayne Shields from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "There has been some sort of explosion which has caused the fire on the first floor of the property which has spread to the roof space.Wayne Shields from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "There has been some sort of explosion which has caused the fire on the first floor of the property which has spread to the roof space.
"We don't think there is anyone within the property but there is still one person we can't account for."We don't think there is anyone within the property but there is still one person we can't account for.
"We have got conflicting information whether he is in the property or not but just to be on the safe side we are searching as best we can to try to find him." "We have got conflicting information about whether he is in the property or not but just to be on the safe side we are searching as best we can to try to find him.
Twenty-five firefighters are at the scene tackling the fire, which has extensively damaged the first floor and roof. "Due to the structural damage of the end terraced house it's not safe enough to send firefighters inside, so we have been using the urban search and rescue team and search and rescue dog to carry out a systematic search."
He said it was too early to say what caused the explosion but said the fire service was working with National Grid and North West Electricity as well as Greater Manchester Police to assist the investigation into the fire.
He said firefighters were likely to remain at the scene for most of the day.
The 60-year-old man, who was in the house at the time, is being treated for the effects of smoke inhalation while the 38-year-old man is being treated for a suspected fractured arm.
Gary Roberts, who lives a few doors away from the house, returned from working a nightshift at 06:30 BST to find the road blocked off.Gary Roberts, who lives a few doors away from the house, returned from working a nightshift at 06:30 BST to find the road blocked off.
He said: "I just got told there was an explosion and we are not allowed to go back to our properties until a structural engineer has been in to check it."He said: "I just got told there was an explosion and we are not allowed to go back to our properties until a structural engineer has been in to check it."