Dramatic aerial pictures show house collapse after 'explosion' as residents are evacuated

Drone photos have revealed the extent of a house collapse in Bury following a huge 'explosion' on Wednesday morning (February 28).

Emergency services raced to the scene of the blast on Nelson Street, in Fishpool, at around 11am. A woman in her 70s was rushed to hospital with serious injuries with a huge scene put in place and a number of nearby homes evacuated.

Terrified residents spoke of the dramatic scenes after the house 'exploded'. One man said he thought his family were 'going to die', as others reported hearing a 'loud bang' and that their houses were 'shaking', with smoke masking the area at around 11am.

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A large 200m cordon was erected as homes and a nearby school were evacuated following the blast. Members of the public were urged to avoid the area as fire crews battled flames at the scene.

Pictures showed how a roof had completely collapsed, with other neighbouring terraced homes also left badly damaged. A wall of flames engulfed the house as it was quickly set ablaze, with thick plumes of smoke billowing from the property as those living nearby were urged to keep their windows and doors closed.

New drone images shared with the Manchester Evening News have revealed the extent of the collapse at the mid-terrace property. The fire service said when they arrived, they were met with a 'fully evolved fire' and 'partial collapse'.

A multi-agency response remained at the scene throughout the day. Amid the huge emergency services response, nearby St Luke's CofE primary school was also evacuated before being closed for the remainder of the day.

In an update on Wednesday afternoon, The Greater Manchester