Danny Lawson/PA WirePeople who lived near the scene of a gas explosion at a house in Leeds said they initially feared the “almighty sound of an explosion” was caused by a plane crash.
Emergency services were called to the property in Marshall Street, Yeadon, less than two miles (3 kilometers) from Leeds Bradford Airport, after the explosion at around 22:35 GMT on Wednesday.
The explosion seriously injured a 57-year-old man, caused major damage to two homes, and caused the temporary evacuation of several other properties.
Neighbor Andrew Fielden, who immediately ran out of his house to investigate, said: “I didn't know what was going on. I thought a plane had crashed. It was quite a shock.”
West Yorkshire Police said on Thursday the injured man was in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
There were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the explosion, the military spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for Northern Gas Networks said the blast did not appear to involve its network, but added that supply to the facility had been cut off as a precaution.
Kara Fowler/BBCFielden said he “jumped out of bed” as soon as he heard the explosion.
“We were lying in bed and the next moment we heard a loud bang. The house shook,” he said.
“I turned the corner and ran up the street and saw all the windows and doors and everything in the middle of the street.
“I ran to his house and yelled at the door, 'Is anyone in there?' He came out of nowhere, this guy.
“I told him, 'If you don't get out of the house, it might explode again.'”
Fielden said that as soon as emergency services arrived, “everything went into lockdown and a lot of people had to evacuate their homes, and so did we.”
“When I went to his house, I heard gas gushing and probably water rushing out. That's why I told him to get out,” he added.
Amy Olivia, who also lives on Marshall Street, said she believed the explosion may have been caused by a plane crash, given the proximity to the airport.
“I couldn't really see it because it was so close. Then I heard it was a suspected gas explosion,” she said.
“There were a lot of blue lights, a lot of fire trucks, a lot of people on the road, a lot of noise, a lot of debris on the road, a lot of broken glass.
“All the windows were penetrated and there was significant damage to the house next door.”
Olivia said it was “scary” because the street is usually very quiet.
Kara Fowler/BBCMeanwhile, local residents Jen and Chris Wylie said they initially thought the noise might have been a sonic boom.
“We were just sitting there watching TV and there was a really loud bang. We were all thrown out,” Wiley said.
“We thought someone might be trying to break in, but we also thought something might have happened at the airport, like a plane going off the runway.
“We've had sonic booms happen before. Dogs have even jumped out of their skin.
“Everyone in the neighborhood thought the same thing, it was a sonic boom, until we realized what was going on.”
Danny Lawson/PA WireWest Yorkshire Police said several nearby homes had to be evacuated after the explosion, but all residents except for two badly damaged homes had returned home.
A military spokesperson said: “Initial investigations suggest it was a gas explosion. The source of the gas is currently under investigation.”
The circumstances surrounding the explosion continue to be investigated and officers will remain at the scene.
Northern Gas Networks business operations director Chris Nevison said: “We became aware of an incident at our Yeadon facility at around 22:40 on New Year’s Day.
“Our engineers arrived on scene within the hour and supported emergency services in investigating the cause.
“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this incident is related to our network.”
Leeds City Council engineers were scheduled to attend the scene to assess the damage caused to the two properties.
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