A young child has been killed and four people injured in a suspected gas explosion in the UK which caused two houses to collapse.
Lancashire Police said they were called to the scene of the explosion in Heysham at 2.40am after reports that "a number" of houses in Heysham had collapsed.
The force later confirmed the death of a child, adding that two people were also seriously injured.
In a statement on Twitter, police said: "We remain at scene of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which has caused 2 houses to collapse & badly damaged another.
"Sadly, we can now confirm a young child has died & 4 other people have been injured, 2 seriously. Our thoughts are with all those affected."
Earlier, the force said officers were at the scene along with colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue and North West Ambulance Service.
Police said a safety cordon had been put in place and nearby residents had been evacuated in the town some 25 miles northeast of Blackpool.
We remain at scene of a suspected gas explosion on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which has caused 2 houses to collapse & badly damaged another. Sadly, we can now confirm a young child has died & 4 other people have been injured, 2 seriously. Our thoughts are with all those affected. pic.twitter.com/mkiDAFNba3
— Lancashire Police (@LancsPolice) May 16, 2021
Several residents of the area tweeted that up to three houses had collapsed, and emergency services sirens had been heard near the scene for a prolonged time.
Dan Knowles, who lives four streets away from the explosion, said he 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.
Local MP David Morris, who represents Morecambe and Lunesdale, wrote on Twitter: "My thoughts and prayers are with all of the families on Mallowdale Avenue following the incident this morning. Thank you to all of the emergency services who are currently on the scene."
The North West Ambulance Service tweeted that it had also sent units to the scene, with a priority to "ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible".
Electricity North West said it had paused electricity supplies to the area for safety reasons while the blast was being investigated.
