Major incident declared after ‘massive explosion’ shakes homes in Leicester.
Two people are in a critical condition aftera suspected explosion destroyed a shop and the flat aboveit inLeicester.
Police declareda “major incident” following the blast, which tookplace about a mile west ofthe city centre.
Residents reported hearing a low booming soundand feeling their houses shake.
Ambulance officials said six people were injured, two critically. They weretaken to LeicesterRoyal Infirmaryand doctors remainedat the scene, they added.
Leicestershire Police said there were noindications ofterrorist activity. They advisedpeople to stay away from the area.
Photographs showed wreckage of a shop onHinkley Road,a major arterial route into the city, engulfedin flames. People were seenin footage trying to move piecesof rubble outside the buildingas blue lights flashed.
A fireand rescue service spokeswoman said the emergency services were conducting a searchand rescue operation and it wasunclear if people were trapped in the rubble.
She said the twofloor building had a loft conversion that had suffered a “pancake collapse”.
Members of the emergency services work at the site of an explosion which destroyed a convenience store and a home in Leicester (REUTERS/Darren Staples)
Electricity supplywas cutoff for a number of propertiesin the Hinckley Roadarea while emergency services dealt with the incident, Leicestershire police said ina statement.
John Alexander, a local resident and journalist who was evacuated from the area told the BBC the shopand the flat above it had been ”completely flattened”bythe explosion.
He was sitting in his front room when hefelt “ahuge shock” that sounded like a ”rush of air”, he said.
When he came out of his house, he sawrubble lying acrossfour lanes ofthe road.
People had beendrinking in a pub near the shopand smoking in a nearby busshelter at the time ofthe blast.
Kat Pattinson who lives onthe same road as the firetold Sky News:“We aredown the same street – about500 metres from where the blasthas taken place and our wholehouse shook.
“We checkedonour children first and foremost and then we went outside.
“There is just anawful lot of smoke here at the moment and the wholearea is cordonedoff.”
Eye-witness Tahir Khan said:“I was driving past when it happened.
“Loads ofpeople were gathered and there wasgas and flames coming out of the building.
“I lookedon the road and half the buildingwas onthe road. Literally the whole ofthe side of the buildinghad been blown out.
“I couldn’tbelieve it, itwas like a Hollywoodmovie.”

Leicestershire Police said ina statement: ”There has been a major incident on Hinckley Road, Leicester. All emergency services are currently dealing with this. Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed Please avoid the area.”
MP for LeicesterWest, Liz Kendall said onTwitter: “Terrible news, am intouch with police as situation develops, thoughts and prayers with all those affected and with our amazing emergency services.”
Anyone concernedabout family members is askedto call 101.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/explosion-major-incident-leicester-police-latest-a8228216.html

May God save them all.

Leicester is a sub city