A man has died after a house collapsed in a suspected gas explosion.
Emergency services were called to reports of a house fire in Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire, at about 1.20pm on Friday.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police confirmed one person died in the incident, believed to be a man in his 50s- in the incident in Kirkby Avenue.
The spokesman said: "His next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time."
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service area manager Tony Crook said the house collapsed at about the time firefighters arrived on the scene.
Mr Crook said: "The fire was severe and spread to next door. We’ve now suppressed the fire."
He said specialist urban search and rescue teams and dogs were deployed to search for casualties in the debris of the house.
Mr Crook said the cause of the blast was initially believed to be gas.
We are currently at the scene of a suspected gas explosion on Kirkby Avenue, Clayton-le-Woods.
— Lancashire Police (@LancsPolice) October 15, 2021
We were called at around 1.30pm today (Friday, October 15) to a report a house had collapsed.
For more information go to: https://t.co/TMhTWG6SYp pic.twitter.com/aB1mDttKQx
A Lancashire Police spokesman said a joint investigation with the fire service was in its early stages and ongoing.
Nearby residents were evacuated and a safety cordon put in place following the blast.
More information is available on our website: https://t.co/QH7Mxuk7o0
— Lancashire Fire (@LancashireFRS) October 15, 2021
Road closures are also in place and people are advised to avoid the area, police said.
A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said earlier a number of appliances are at the scene and advised residents to close windows and doors if affected by any smoke.
A spokeswoman for North West Ambulance Service said on Friday afternoon: “Our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) is currently on the scene, along with a MERIT (Medical Emergency Response Incident Team) doctor, an ambulance and an operational commander.”
