At least four people have been taken to hospital in a critical condition after a convenience store in Leicester was completely destroyed in a massive explosion.
A Londis store and the flat above it on Hinckley road were completely obliterated in the explosion with a spokesman from Leicester Royal Infirmary confirming that four patients were admitted to the hospital.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 7.10pm and witnesses writing on social media said that locals were seen using their bare hands to free people under chunks of rubble.
The building was reduced to rubble by the blast and fire.
Photos shared online showed the store had completely disappeared with flames engulfing the wreckage.
A Leicester Fire and Rescue spokesman said it was a "pancake collapse".
One witness wrote on social media that emergency services were seen searching for people under chunks of rubble.
All four casualties have been taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, the ambulance service said in a tweet.
Leicestershire Police tweeted: "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."
The cause of the explosion is unclear at the present time but it is being treated as a major incident.
According to reports, the explosion took place at Western Park Store, a Londis store on the street with a bus stop in front of it.
60 homes in the area have been reportedly evacuated in the aftermath.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed a search and rescue operation is under way.
| Major Incident |
19:19 |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.
Tracey Bradshaw, 56, said she saw as many as five people desperately trying to move rubble from the site of the explosion, while others were "running and screaming" away from the scene.
Bradshaw told MailOnline: "When I arrived at the scene there were people trying to move bricks so I assume there must have been people inside. The street and road was absolutely covered with bricks and rubble. Cars might even have been hit from the explosion as well.
"It shook the whole house. We were there in a couple of minutes, but we can't see anything now as the shop is on the other. A girl was being helped across the road by another person."
She added that the building was not initially on fire following the explosion, but caught alight around 10 minutes after the bang, which is when people moving the debris from the site were forced to move back.
People gathered in the streets as emergency services tackled the fire.
People nearby took to Twitter to express their shock, with one user writing that their entire house "shook" after the blast.
User Applepearmama said: "Not too many details at the moment, speculation of a gas explosion - possibly some hurt, nothing confirmed. My whole house shook though - it was a huge blast whatever caused it."
