Andover explosion: Firefighters searching collapsed house find body
A "huge bang" was heard before a property collapsed in Hampshire in the early hours of the morning.
Thursday 27 December 2018 20:42, UK
Emergency services have found the body of a 48-year-old man following an explosion which caused a house to collapse in Andover.
Neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution following the blast in Launcelot Close, off King Arthurs Way, at about 2.30am on Thursday.
No other injuries have been reported and those registered as living at the house have been accounted for.
A cordon is expected to remain in place for the "coming days" as police and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service continue to search the scene.
Detectives are trying to pinpoint the "exact circumstances" of what happened.
In a joint statement, the police and fire service said: "The body of a man has been found after an explosion in Andover at about 2.30am on Thursday.
"The explosion caused a building (to) collapse."
Chief Inspector Kory Thorne said the investigation would "take some time and a cordon will remain in place in the coming days".
The man's next of kin have been informed.
Resident Hannah Louise tweeted a photo of the destroyed building and said she heard a "huge bang".
She said the building collapsed and was now "gone" and that a neighbouring property was "severely damaged".
Another resident also spoke of a "really loud bang" in the middle of the night. He told Sky News: "I looked out of the window and there was just rubble - rubble everywhere."
The collapsed house had "folded in on itself".
"It's really a shock, you don't really know what to do in that situation," said the resident. "Nothing really prepares you for that situation."
Andy Phillips, 44, who also lives nearby said the explosion was like "a huge clap of thunder that shook and rattled ours and many other houses" with the resulting debris covering about a 25m (82ft) radius.
He said the property affected was a shared house for people "getting back on their feet after hard times".
The Aster Group housing association said: "We're working closely with the emergency services as they carry out their investigations.
"Our senior team is attending the incident and our neighbourhood teams on the ground are already onsite offering help and support to the residents involved."
Gas distribution firm SGN said engineers were working with emergency services earlier in the morning.
Spokesman Dan Brown said: "We understand an occupant in the property at the time of the explosion has died and our thoughts are with them and their family.
"While it is too early to speculate as to what has happened, we're working closely with the emergency services to help identify the cause. In conjunction with the authorities, we're currently working to isolate gas supplies to property numbers one and two for safety.
"We'll remain on site to support the emergency services to help discover the cause of the explosion."
Councillor Phil North, the leader of Test Valley Borough Council, offered his condolences to the family and friends of the man who died.
"This is truly devastating and my thoughts are with all those affected," he said on Facebook.
"The council has been at the scene since the early hours and we are working closely with the emergency services, including Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) who are leading the response to this incident, to assist all those involved. We are also looking after those who have been evacuated in the Merlin Pub.
"We continue to liaise with HFRS to determine when residents will be allowed back into their properties and will be working with other agencies to ensure that those affected by this situation have access to emergency accommodation."
:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting 44180478862. Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.