A terrible blast in Newcastle’s Benwell and Elswick neighborhood has shocked and saddened the people who live there. A seven-year-old boy died in the early morning explosion, which also hurt six other people.
Quickly, emergency services arrived at the scene, where people said they heard a loud blast and then a bright flash. A person in the area said, “When I saw the big flash, I thought it was an explosion.” “At first, I thought there might have been a car accident.” But as soon as I smelled it, I woke my family up. It was clear that something terrible had happened.
Drone footage showed how bad the damage was: six apartments were severely damaged and one house was fully destroyed.
A police cordon is still in place while firefighters and other rescue workers continue to look through the wreckage. Superintendent of Northumbria Police Darren Adams called what happened “truly devastating.” “I stand here today with deep sorrow to confirm the untimely loss of a small child,” he added.
Six people were hurt in the explosion and were taken to the hospital, but the full amount of their injuries has not been made public. As a safety measure, some people who lived in nearby homes were told by the local Fire and Rescue Service to leave their homes.
It is still unknown what caused the explosion, and the officials are working hard to find out what happened. People in the area are shocked, and one family friend said it was “heartbreaking.”
People in the area are coming together to support the families who have been touched by this terrible loss. People who have been forced to leave their homes are getting food, clothes, and a place to stay from neighbors.
