Neighbours heard an almighty bang as they ran out into the road
A neighbour heard the sound of a loud bang before running outside to find the front of a nearby house had been partially “blown off”. Three people have been taken to hospital following reports of an explosion on Benedict Street in Bootle earlier this afternoon (Thursday, November 28). One other patient was treated and discharged on scene.
Photos taken on Benedict Street show extensive damage to the front of a terraced house. The bay window collapsed into the road, and debris, glass and blinds could be seen scattered in front of the property.
One neighbour said she heard a “loud bang” just after 12.30pm. She told the ECHO: “I heard a loud bang but I thought it was work fellas in the street. Then I checked my Ring Doorbell and saw a fire engine going down the street.
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“I went outside and saw a load of people walking past so I headed down the street and saw that the front of a house had been blown off. It was shocking.”
Further along the street, one man told the ECHO when he heard the explosion, he “thought a lorry had dropped from the sky”.
A Merseyside Fire & Rescue service spokesperson told the ECHO earlier this afternoon: “Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is in attendance at an incident on Benedict Street, Bootle. Crews were alerted at 12.43 to reports of an explosion and they arrived on scene at 12.49. Three fire engines are currently on scene.
“Crews arrived to find a two-storey property with the ground floor involved in fire. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and rescued two people, who were conscious and breathing. Another two people were already out of the property.
“Gas and electrics have been isolated and the fire has been extinguished. The four people involved were handed over to North West Ambulance Service to be checked over and three of them have been conveyed to hospital. Cadent engineers are on scene carrying out tests in the involved property and neighbouring properties.”
A spokesperson for Cadent said: “We have an engineer on-site to assist with the multi-agency response, which is routine in an incident like this. It is too early to say what has caused this and we should avoid speculating.”
The cordon on Benedict Street has now been lifted and emergency services have reportedly left the scene.
