Shocking footage shows the moment a house was destroyed by a massive explosion – leaving two men suffering serious injuries.
Debris was seen scattered across the street after Shrewsbury Close in Bloxwich, Walsall, West Midlands, was rocked by the huge blast.
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9.30pm last night and 65 firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.
Paramedics were called two hours later to Lower Lichfield Street, Willenhall, three miles away and found two men with serious burns.
The first man had suffered critical injuries while the second was treated for serious injuries, with both taken to Birmingham‘s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
CCTV showed the impact of the blast and the immediate aftermath as flames tore through the two storey mid-terraced property.
Two men were seen fleeing the scene as concerned neighbours gathered outside in the street.
The footage was captured by neighbour Hasnath Miah, 43, a father-of-four, who said he rushed outside after hearing what he thought was a ‘bomb blast’.
Shocking footage shows the moment a house was destroyed by a massive explosion in Walsall, West Midlands
Video footage captures the explosion and following fire on Shrewsbury Close last night
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9.30pm last night and 65 firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze
He said: ‘We were in last night as a family, I was just on my laptop, my son was doing some university work for his dissertation.
‘Then all of a sudden I heard what sounded like a bomb blast.
‘I knew it wasn’t a normal sound so I ran outside and could see straight away these flames taking hold.
‘These two guys then ran away from the house and up the street; one was in a blue t-shirt, the other was in white.
‘And then from then on it was just a case of the fire spreading and engulfing the house for about ten minutes before the fire service got here.
‘Only they will know what caused it but it all looks weird to me – for the whole of the top of the house to be destroyed like that while the downstairs is OK is not normal.
‘We moved from London from a high rise in 2018 due to Grenfell and this happens here and now I don’t know when I can go back inside my home.
‘The whole community is in major shock here today.’
The neighbour living next door, who didn’t want to be named, said he was walking back to the property after taking his wife to work when the house ‘exploded,’ sending debris towards him.
He said: ‘It was very dramatic; I saw two people running from the property but it has caused extensive damage to our property as well.
The house is left in ruins after the huge blaze, which also damages neighbouring properties
‘Walsall Council were really good in arranging overnight accommodation.
‘I’m not sure what is going to happen now.’
Donna Titley, the church warden at St Thomas’ on adjacent Cresswell Crescent, said she was cleaning when they heard a ‘massive bang’ and came out to see a ‘scene of devastation’.
She said: ‘There was obviously a lot of people had come out of their homes and they were in shock. Not to mention the people on the row of houses which were damaged.
‘We kept the church door open for them and anyone who wanted to get a break or a cup of tea and didn’t leave there until 2am.
‘I just hope everyone is safe and well and my heart goes out to all those affected.’
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: ‘We were called following a fire at an address in Shrewsbury Close, Bloxwich, at around 9.30pm yesterday.
‘Two men were later found in Willenhall with burn injuries. They were taken to hospital where they remain.
‘We are working alongside fire service investigators to establish the cause of the blaze.’
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘Two men have been taken to hospital with serious burn injuries overnight.
‘West Midlands Ambulance Service was called at 9.28pm to Shrewsbury Close following reports of a house explosion and sent an ambulance, two paramedic officers, a MERIT trauma doctor with a critical care paramedic and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.
The moment the explosion happened was caught on extraordinary footage last night
‘On arrival, crews found one man who did not wish to be assessed and was discharged at the scene.
‘We received a second call at 11.31pm to Lower Lichfield Street in Willenhall.
‘Two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a MERIT trauma doctor with a critical care paramedic were sent to the scene.
‘On arrival, crews found two men who had suffered burn injuries.
‘The first had suffered critical injuries and, following advanced trauma care from medics, was conveyed under emergency conditions to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with MERIT travelling on board to continue treatment en route.
‘Ambulance staff treated the second man for serious injuries before conveying him to the same hospital.’
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said: ‘At 9.26pm on Monday 28 April, Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control started to receive multiple 999 calls reporting an incident in Shrewsbury Close, Bloxwich.
‘Nine fire crews, our Technical Rescue Unit, a hydraulic aerial platform and a drone were mobilised.
‘Our first resources arrived within five minutes of being mobilised.
‘They were met with a challenging scene – a severe fire involving an extensively damaged two-storey, mid-terraced house. The fire had also affected neighbouring properties.
Horrifying photos show the devastating aftermath of the blast, which tore through a house
‘Several residents had got themselves to safety before we arrived, and others were evacuated by emergency services as a precaution.
‘Firefighters led one man to safety from a property. He is understood to have been assessed and discharged at the scene by the ambulance service.
‘A local church provided shelter, and volunteers from the Red Cross also offered support.
‘Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and used hose reels and main jets to tackle the fire, which had been extinguished by around 11pm.
‘Colleagues from the police also attended, as well as the council and utility companies.
‘Our investigators will be working to establish the cause.’
