Man airlifted to hospital after gas explosion in Preston

The pensioner, named locally as Frannie Sharples, has been flown to hospital for emergency treatment after suffering serious burns in the explosion at his home in Bleasdale Street East at 10.50am.

No-one else has been injured in the blast, said police.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "We were called at 10.45am today (February 16) to reports of a gas explosion at an address in Bleasdale Street East, Preston.

"A man in his 70s has been taken to hospital with burn injuries. Emergency services are at the scene."

An ambulance spokesman added: "We got a call at 10.51am reporting an explosion at a property.

"We’ve mobilised several resources including an ambulance and air ambulance.

"One patient has been airlifted to hospital suffering burns and smoke inhalation."

One shocked resident, Mary Priestley, said the blast shook her home and "the ground felt like an earthquake when it happened".

"I heard a big bang and the dog panicked," she said.

"Then I looked out the window and there were fire engines, the police, the lot. I couldn't believe what was happening."

You can find more reaction from those who live in Bleasdale Street East and heard the blast here.

Another neighbour described how he was startled by a "big bang" that rattled the windows of his home across the road.

He said: "I wondered what it was at first. It felt like an earthquake. It shook the floor and all the windows."

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to an incident reportedly involving an explosion in Bleasdale Street East, Preston at around 10.40am this morning.

"The incident is involving a domestic property and there was one casualty reported.

"They were treated with first aid by firefighters prior to ambulance crews arriving and have now been transferred to hospital for treatment for burns.

"Crews isolated utilities to make the scene safe and we are currently in attendance alongside partners including a building inspector who’ll be assessing the scene.

"We have crews from Preston, the aerial ladder platform from Preston, Bamber Bridge and our Urban Search and Rescue Team in attendance.

"The aerial support unit also attended but has been stood down.

"We’re now looking to ensure the scene is made safe."

Cadent gas engineers at the scene said the cause of the explosion has been established and described it as an "isolated incident inside the home".

They said they were unable to comment further as an investigation is ongoing.

You can see more pictures from the scene of the blast in Bleasdale Street East here.Bleasdale Street East and neighbouring Deepdale Mill Street reopened at around 1pm.