Heywood Gas Explosion
Exclusive Interview With Victim
A MAN has been injured following a suspected gas blast in Heywood.
Firefighters pulled the resident from the rubble after an explosion in a first floor flat in Crown Road, shortly before 8pm.
The force of the blast caused the roof to lift and blew the gable end out. Debris was strewn across the road outside the building.!30Apr2015_house_collapse
Nearby residents were evacuated as crew from Heywood Fire Station and the Technical Response Unit worked closely with the National Grid to make the scene safe.
Chief Reporter Michelle Livesey spoke exclusively to residents Bonita and Lorraine who were in the house when it exploded:
Officer in Charge, Station Manager Angus Robinson said: "Our priority was making the scene safe and ensuring there was nobody trapped in the debris.
"We sent a team in to search the building.
"One man was found trapped on the first floor. He was freed by firefighters and handed into the care of paramedics.
"Once the scene was stabilised, gas detectors were used to survey each flat in the two-storey building before the Technical Response Unit and a dog searched for any further casualties.
"They didn't find anybody else, so we have scaled down the incident and are allowing residents back into their homes."
An investigation into cause of the explosion is underway.