GoFundMe page started following fatal Lancashire explosion

It's been set up by the community to help the families involved following the blast this morning where a child died.

Author: Abbie ChesherPublished 16th May 2021

A young child has been killed and four adults have been injured, two of them seriously, after a suspected gas explosion in Heysham, Lancashire Police said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by the local community to help the families involved by the blast - as many of them have lost their homes.

If you'd like to donate you can here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-familys-affected?utm_source=messenger&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR33tvqyoReqtEHdV_qsL0L2MMgsdqbQTyH65Y3NJ6N07Je6XDNO3Af75EY

Lancashire Police said they had been called at 2.40am to the scene of the explosion after reports “a number” of houses on Mallowdale Avenue had collapsed.

The force’s most recent update confirms the sad death of a child.

“We remain at scene of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Ave, Heysham, which has caused two houses to collapse and badly damaged another.

“Sadly, we can now confirm a young child has died and four other people have been injured, two seriously.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected.”

Heysham explosion - credit John Cossee

Dan Knowles, who lives four streets away from the explosion, said he had thought there had been an earthquake.

“My wife and I thought there was an earthquake which woke us, the whole house shook,” he told the PA news agency.

“We immediately checked on our kids and got back in bed. We then heard sirens and my wife checked Facebook, when we found out that there’d been a gas explosion. We stayed indoors and switched everything off at the source and then sat up all night worrying.”

Lancashire Police said a safety cordon had been put in place and nearby residents in the town, about 25 miles north-east of Blackpool, had been evacuated.

“We are asking people to please avoid the entire area while we deal with this ongoing incident,” the force said.