Two people have been injured after an explosion tore through a terraced house on Saturday morning.
They were both rushed to hospital following the blast at a property in Tranmere in the Wirral, Merseyside, shortly after 7.40am.
Pictures from the scene in Holt Road show a gaping hole in the street where the house stood before it was demolished.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue said it arrived at the incident within five minutes of receiving an emergency call after the building went up in flames.
Crews checked there was no one else left inside the mid-terrace house before using a hose jet to put out the fire.
Houses on either side of the affected home were evacuated, while gas and electricity services for them have been temporarily halted.
A spokesperson from the fire service said representatives from regional gas supplier Cadent had been requested at the address.
The fire service said: ‘Crews were alerted at 07.42 with a fire engine from Birkenhead first on scene at 07.47.
‘At the height of the incident there was four fire engines and the aerial appliance in attendance.
‘Neighbours have stated to Fire Service personnel that all persons were out of the property prior to Fire Service arrival.
‘Fire fighting commenced with one hose reel jet being utilised.
‘Two casualties are in the care of NWAS Paramedics and have been conveyed to hospital.
‘All properties along the road where the affected property is situated have now been evacuated with gas and electrics isolated.’
It comes after an 84-year-old man and two people were injured in a suspected gas explosion at a house in Edinburgh on Friday night.
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