 Residents reported a smell of gas in the air |
Two men, thought to be burglars, are in hospital following a blast at a house. Fire crews freed a man trapped in rubble following the explosion in Edith Street, West Bromwich. Another man was taken to hospital with serious burns.
A fire service spokesman said the empty terraced house had been destroyed and those next door severely damaged. Crews were now trying to make them safe.
Police said one line of inquiry is that trespassers were in the house at the time and had tampered with gas pipes.
'Reddy-brown cloud'
Engineers from gas company Transco have isolated supplies in the area; neighbours reported a strong gas smell.
Ambulance and police crews were also dispatched to the scene and the trapped man was treated by paramedics when he was released and taken to Sandwell Hospital. His injuries are not thought to be serious.
The other man has been taken to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.
Jeff Dixon, who works at offices nearby, said: "I was sitting at my desk and a reddy-brown cloud suddenly appeared at quite a speed above the roofline opposite.
"At first I thought it was a fire, but there was lots of debris in amongst it and then, after a couple of minutes, the whole column subsided and I realised it must have been an explosion."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
