A man is believed to be trapped in the ruins of a collapsed house in Rochdale after an explosion and fire this morning.
Fire crews were called to War Office Road, Rochdale, at around 5.10am and found two walls and the roof of the end-terrace house had collapsed with the garden strewn with debris
Two men aged 38 and 60, and a woman aged 74, managed to escape the house; one of whom was rescued by neighbours who rushed to get a ladder after hearing the explosion.
The two men are now being treated in hospital.
Wayne Shields from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “There has been some sort of explosion which has caused the fire on the first floor property which has spread to the roof space.
“We don’t think there is anyone within the property but there is still one person we can’t account for.
“We have got some conflicting information whether he is in the property or not but just to be on the safe side we are searching as best we can to try to find him.”
According to Mr Shields Police are trying to contact the missing man’s family to see if he was staying somewhere else.
The fire is now under control and fire services managed to the stop the blaze spreading to other properties.
Image courtesy of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue via YouTube, with thanks.
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
