Man found dead following explosion and house collapse in Worksop
The blast happened in John Street in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on Saturday evening, with multiple nearby properties evacuated.
Sunday 13 April 2025 17:06, UK
A man has been found dead among the debris following an explosion at a house in Nottinghamshire.
Emergency services were called to John Street, Worksop, on Saturday evening after reports that a house had collapsed in a blast, and a major incident was declared.
Nottinghamshire Police said on Sunday afternoon that the body of a man in his 50s was later recovered in the wreckage, and although emergency services tried to save him, he died at the scene.
Firefighters from the town were joined by crews from Warsop and Mansfield, and Clowne in Derbyshire, after receiving reports shortly before 7.40pm.
The terraced property was partially destroyed and neighbouring homes suffered "significant damage", Nottinghamshire Police said, with people evacuated from multiple properties.
Earlier on Sunday, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service reported the incident as a suspected gas explosion and said "a number of appliances" remained at the scene.
Videos posted on social media showed the front of a terraced house blown out and the roof collapsed, while neighbouring houses suffered damage to windows.
As the plastic police tape flaps in the wind, evacuated residents gather beside it, wondering when they'll be allowed back home.
The tape has been used by officers to cordon off a large area of terraced housing, which surrounds the explosion site in John Street.
"My uncle was in bed when it happened", August tells me, "he said the stairs came down so he had to jump, the windows and the doors all smashed".
August and his family live in the house next door to where the explosion took place. He tells me that his friend called him at work, to tell him to get home quick.
"My kids weren't there and my uncle is ok, so I'm grateful for that," he says.
August said he didn't know the victim, but he says that people are feeling sadness over what happened.
Marie tells me she went home to check her boiler immediately after the explosion. The cause isn't yet known, but one line of inquiry for investigators is that gas may have been involved.
"There was a huge bang, my whole house shook, everything fell off the mantelpiece," says Marie. Others had travelled to Worksop from four miles away, saying they'd heard the blast.
"I thought we were back in the war," one elderly lady told me. She and her family stayed with relatives after being asked to leave their properties nearby.
In the local community centre car park I find Piotr, his wife, and their two dogs, who'd all spent the night in their vehicle. "Now we don't know what's next," Piotr says.
The local council say they're helping people with temporary accommodation if they have nowhere else to stay. It could be many weeks before this part of Nottinghamshire recovers from the extraordinary events of Saturday night.
A Facebook user reported a "huge" bang that shook the surrounding properties, while another described "a terrific bang, like a very loud firework".
Chief Inspector Clive Collings, from Nottinghamshire Police, described it as "an extremely serious incident that has led to a man's untimely death".
He said the explosion "will have come as a shock to the community in Worksop", and that specially trained officers are supporting the man's family, who have been told of his death.
"Anyone who may have been in the area at the time is now accounted for," he added.
Chief Inspector Collings said the cordon and road closures will probably remain in place for some time while investigations continue.
Multiple residents from in and around John Street were asked to leave, he said, and are being supported by Nottinghamshire County Council staff.
He warned people against using drones as flying a drone over or near an ongoing emergency response without permission is an offence.